Man accused of ‘chaotic and highly dangerous’ shooting, striking NC apartments
Bullets struck several occupied apartments when gunfire erupted last week in Western North Carolina, officials said.
Now, the man accused of firing the shots on April 14 has been taken into custody, according to the Murphy Police Department.
Jalen Bichette Jones — an Atlanta, Georgia, resident — was captured after officers said they obtained arrest warrants “on multiple charges, including four (4) counts of attempted murder.” Police in an April 19 news release didn’t list an attorney for him.
The shooting was reported “in the late evening hours” along Cool Springs Street in Murphy, roughly 110 miles southwest of the mountain tourist town of Asheville.
“It was discovered that multiple occupied dwellings and a vehicle had been struck by rounds fired from a firearm and the suspect had already fled the scene,” officials wrote. “ ... The firearm used was a 7.62x39 caliber which is a round used in an AK-47 rifle.”
No one living in the Cool Springs area was reported hurt in the shooting.
Officers said Atlanta police captured Jones, who was expected to be extradited back to Murphy.
“The Murphy Police Department would like to thank the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County 911 communications and the Murphy Fire Department for their assistance during this chaotic and highly dangerous situation,” said officials, who wrote that they wouldn’t be sharing additional information as of April 19.
This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 9:11 AM with the headline "Man accused of ‘chaotic and highly dangerous’ shooting, striking NC apartments."
