WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A 29-year-old man was fatally shot Sunday night in Warner Robins, leaving police searching for answers and a suspect still at large.
The victim, identified as Jeremy Chandler of Byron, was pronounced dead at a local hospital after being shot once in the back, according to the Warner Robins Police Department.
Lieutenant Justin Clark of the Warner Robins Police Department said that the shooting occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday in the 200 block of Ravenwood Way.
"We received a call from the hospital last night," Clark said. "A gunshot victim had just come in. Unfortunately, a short time later, they pronounced him deceased."
Initial investigations reveal that Chandler, who did not reside at the location, had visited the address when the incident occurred. A brief altercation preceded the shooting, after which both the victim and the suspect fled the scene.
"He actually went to that residence and got out," Clark said. "And that's whenever the altercation happened. We're still looking into the motive on exactly what led to it."
Police have emphasized that this was not a random act of violence.
"The parties were known to each other," Clark said. "There's no indication that there's a greater threat to the public."
While authorities have identified a person of interest, they are not releasing that information to the public at this time. Detectives are continuing to conduct interviews, review lineups and examine footage as part of their ongoing investigation.
The incident has stirred concerns among neighbors about increasing criminal activity in the area. Several neighbors, who wished to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, reported noticing unusual activities in recent months.
Addressing these concerns, Clark cautioned against generalizing these issues to the entire community.
"Neighborhoods a lot of times will have certain people move in and occupy houses in those neighborhoods and sometimes bring trouble with them," he said. "But it's not so much a factor of everybody in that neighborhood has just gone bad and doing bad things. There's still lots of good people over there."
The Warner Robins Police Department's Criminal Investigations Unit and Identification Criminalists Unit responded to the scene to investigate and process evidence. As the investigation continues, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
"If anyone has information as it relates to this incident," a police statement read, "please contact Det. Broussard at 478-302-5380 or the Macon Regional CrimeStoppers."
As the investigation unfolds, residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to law enforcement. The Warner Robins Police Department has promised to provide updates as the investigation progresses.