In a tragic turn of events on a Tuesday morning in Jackson, Tennessee, a 25-year-old man, James Roberson, was fatally shot. The incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. on January 20, 2015. Roberson was reportedly at 12 Woodberry Trail to pick up a friend. While he and his friend were seated in a car, another vehicle, a white Nissan Maxima, pulled up.
A male suspect exited the Nissan, approached Roberson's vehicle, and opened fire, striking the car multiple times.
Roberson's passenger managed to escape the vehicle unharmed. However, as Roberson attempted to get out, he was shot by the assailant. When police officers arrived at the scene, they found Roberson's body on the ground next to a parked car.
The investigation into the shooting led police to identify 25-year-old Jeremy Echols of Jackson as a person of interest. After further investigation, authorities determined that Echols had a motive and had planned to kill Roberson. While the specific motive was not immediately released due to the ongoing investigation, Echols was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
At the time of his arrest for Roberson's murder, Echols was already facing other charges in Jackson City Court for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and theft for possessing a stolen handgun. He had been arrested for those charges the previous week when investigators executed a search warrant in connection with the homicide investigation. Echols had a criminal history that included convictions for felony evading arrest in 2008 and possession of marijuana with intent to sell in 2012. Following his arrest for the murder, he was held in the Madison County Jail.
