Fundraiser helping family of Columbus Dollar General homicide victim. How to donate
Money is being raised to help the victim’s family after a homicide Tuesday at a Dollar General in Columbus.
Alexis Hill, 44, was working in the store at the intersection of Victory Drive and Marathon Drive when a customer shot her in the head, according to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.
Deputy Coroner Dustin Harrelson pronounced Hill dead at the scene at 10:46 a.m., Bryan said.
About 2 1/2 hours later and roughly 1.2 miles away from that Dollar General, the suspect, 33-year-old Jerome Willis, was killed in a shootout with police in the parking lot of the former Muscogee Elementary School, Bryan said.
Students and staff were inside the building, which now houses a robotics program and a family resource center, but they weren’t injured during the incident, the Muscogee County School District announced.
A police officer and a dog in the Columbus Police Department’s K9 unit, however, were injured during the shootout, said police Chief Stoney Mathis.
Wednesday, CPD posted on its Facebook page an update on their condition: The officer was treated and is expected to make a full recovery; the dog, named Havoc, is stable at the Auburn Vet Hospital but will require surgery.
Starting on Friday, Three Dog Bakery in Columbus will sell “Havoc badge cookies” with proceeds benefiting the CPD K9 unit, according to a post on the bakery’s Facebook page. The post says donations to the CPD K9 unit will be accepted in the store.
GoFundMe account for Alexis Hill’s family
A fundraiser at GoFundMe.com is raising money to help Hill’s family pay for her “memorial service, burial, travel for her next of kin, funeral arrangements and estate expenses,” according to the account established by her brother, Jonathan Hill.
“Alexis Hill was a beloved sister, friend, and member of our family whose sudden passing has left us heartbroken,” he wrote. “As her brother, I am reaching out to our community to help honor her memory and ensure she receives the farewell she deserves. Alexis touched many lives with her kindness and spirit, and we want to come together to celebrate her life and support her estate during this difficult time.
“... Please be advised that any other GoFundMe posts or links outside of this one have not been authorized by the estate, and we cannot guarantee the funds will be received and used properly outside this GoFundMe campaign. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference and is deeply appreciated. Thank you for your kindness, support, and for helping us honor Alexis’s memory.”
As of Wednesday at 9 p.m., $4,204 from 107 donations had been raised toward the $9,000 goal.
Ledger-Enquirer reporter Kelby Hutchison contributed to this article.
