In the quiet early morning hours in Elmore, a 71-year-old man named Thomas Parker was fatally shot in his own bed, an act for which his own grandson would be accused. The tragic event unfolded around 3 a.m. when Jeremiah Long, 21 years old, allegedly entered his grandparents' bedroom to demand the keys to a van. When his grandfather refused, an argument ensued, culminating in Long allegedly firing a single shot into his grandfather's chest.
At the time of the incident, Long had been residing with his grandparents after returning from a drug rehabilitation program in Georgia. Following the shooting, it is reported that he remained at the scene. His grandmother, who witnessed the horrific event, was initially unable to call for help as their cell phone had been taken from the room earlier in the night by Long while they slept. It was only after she was able to retrieve a second, hidden phone that she could contact her daughter and authorities were alerted. By the time deputies and medical personnel arrived, approximately an hour after the shooting, it was too late to render aid that might have saved Parker's life.
Jeremiah Long was subsequently taken into custody and charged with the murder of his grandfather. He was booked into the Elmore County Jail. The incident, as described by Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin, was a 'very sad and gruesome story' that shattered the peace of the Elmore community.
