In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 11, 2023, the life of 39-year-old Jimmy Lee Bradberry Jr. was tragically cut short in his Macon, Georgia home. A ShotSpotter notification alerted the Bibb County Sheriff's Office to gunfire in the 2400 block of Monroe Avenue at approximately 5:47 a.m. However, it would be a couple of hours before the full scope of the morning's events became clear.
Deputies who initially responded to the area did not immediately enter Bradberry's residence. It wasn't until a concerned neighbor requested a welfare check that authorities gained entry into the home. Inside, they discovered Bradberry unresponsive, having sustained at least three gunshot wounds. The home itself also bore the signs of the violent encounter, with damage from the gunfire. Deputy Coroner Ronnie Miley officially pronounced Jimmy Lee Bradberry Jr. dead at the scene at 8:54 a.m.
In the days that followed, questions arose regarding the delay between the initial ShotSpotter alert and the discovery of Bradberry's body. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office stated that the initial alerts provided different addresses on Monroe Avenue, not Bradberry's specific location. The first deputy arrived on the scene around 6:25 a.m. and observed that a duplex had been struck by bullets. Despite knocking and calling for Bradberry, there was no response. It was not until a friend of Bradberry's climbed through a window to check on him that the tragic discovery was made and deputies were alerted. Investigators believe Bradberry was seated in his recliner when he was fatally shot.
The Bibb County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the homicide of Jimmy Lee Bradberry Jr. To date, no information regarding any arrests or the identification of any suspects has been publicly released. Authorities have urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Bibb Sheriff's Office or Macon Regional Crime Stoppers.
