In a tragic event in Rock Spring, Georgia, 54-year-old Jacklyn Denny Payne was killed in a shooting. The incident, which unfolded on the evening of Saturday, March 8, 2025, also resulted in the deaths of two other individuals, including the suspect.
The investigation revealed that Jacklyn's estranged husband, 54-year-old Russell David Payne of Marietta, was the perpetrator. Russell Payne drove to the Rock Spring residence on Woodstation Road where Jacklyn was staying with her father.
He proceeded to fire multiple rounds into the back of the house before forcing his way inside and continuing to shoot.
Inside the home at the time were Jacklyn, her 79-year-old father, Eugene “Jack” Denny, and a 52-year-old family friend, Chickamauga Police Officer Charles “Chuck” Dunn. Both Jacklyn and her father were fatally wounded during the assault. Officer Dunn, who was off-duty and a longtime friend of the family, engaged with the shooter but sustained life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a hospital and was initially in critical condition, but later succumbed to his injuries.
After the attack, Russell David Payne died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. Authorities have described the incident as a murder-suicide. The bodies of the deceased were sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's crime lab for autopsies.
