A Columbus woman is in jail for murder after a Sunday-morning shooting. And police are interviewing a second person associated with the incident.
Kalmesha Denise Jackson, 23, of 810 Eighth St. S. in Columbus, told police she was sitting in the driver’s seat of her Chevrolet Malibu playing with a gun when it fired, shooting 23-year-old Marquez Kentrel Carter in the head.
The gun discharged once at around 4 a.m.
Carter, 23, of 1147 Tabernacle Road in Columbus, was sitting in the passenger’s seat of the car, which was parked at 1320 Second Ave. N., just two blocks from the police station, said Raymond Hackler, an investigator with the Columbus Police Department.
Carter died at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle later Sunday morning. His body will be transported to Jackson today for an autopsy, said Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant.
Jared Rashad Reed was sitting in the back seat of the car when the incident happened.
Reed, 23, of 1006 Fourth St. S. in Columbus, fled the scene, Hackler said. Reed, who was wanted on an outstanding contempt-of-court warrant, turned himself in to police Monday afternoon.
Pending further investigation, it is unknown if Reed will be charged with anything related to Carter’s death.
Jackson was taken into custody, questioned by police and later charged with murder. She was arrested at 10:38 a.m. Sunday at the police department, according to her arrest report. Her bond was not set Monday because of the holiday. She is being held at the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center.
Police found a 9 mm handgun at the scene and also located Carter’s wallet near the intersection of 14th Street and Second Avenue North, Columbus Police Chief Selvain McQueen said. The wallet had blood on it.
Investigators believe Jackson and Carter were friends, McQueen said.
Carter has a history of run-is with the law for incidents of violence. He was arrested in March of 2010 on five counts of aggravated assault. Three stem from a shooting at the Grey Goose nightclub at the 100 block of 22nd Street South, in which one person was injured. The other two stem from an incident at Minner Quick Stop on Military Road when Carter allegedly shot the ground directly in front of a woman and her 1-year-old child.
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