In a tragic turn of events on the morning of September 18, 2023, four-year-old Jacquese Walker Jr. was killed in Columbus, Georgia. The young male was found by police deceased from a gunshot wound inside an apartment at the Liberty Commons complex on North Lumpkin Road. Officers had initially been called to the residence around 8:00 a.m. for a shooting and discovered a woman, the child's mother, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The woman was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
The investigation into the double shooting quickly identified the boy's father, 35-year-old Jacquese Antwan Walker, as the suspect. A manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies ensued. The search for Walker lasted for more than a day before he was located and taken into custody on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 19, 2023. His arrest took place near 25th Street and 14th Avenue in Columbus.
Authorities have charged Jacquese Walker with murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. According to police, the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute. It was reported that the child's mother was attempting to end her relationship with Walker, which led to an argument. During a court hearing, which Walker waived his right to attend, a police sergeant testified that Walker admitted to shooting his wife but claimed that shooting his son was an accident. Prosecutors argued that his intent to shoot the mother still made him legally responsible for the child's death under felony murder rules. The young boy's aunt remembered him as a child who loved basketball and his mother deeply.
