Columbus man shot a home invader - and it turned out to be his gaming friend, police say

A Columbus man shot his gamer friend Monday after he caught him breaking into his Crystal Drive home, according to testimony Friday in Recorder’s Court.

Jacobee Brooks, 26, pleaded not guilty to first-degree burglary. He was ordered in the Muscogee County Jail under bonds totaling $10,000 bond.

Judge Julius Hunter bound the case over to Superior Court and ordered Brooks to stay away from the residence.

Columbus detectives were called to the Sea Breeze mobile home community at 6023 Crystal Drive on Monday to investigate a shooting.

When they arrived on the scene, patrol officers were detaining one person and Brooks was heading to Midtown Medical Center to be treated for two gunshot wounds in the back and another in the leg.

Cpl. Delante’ Odom said Brooks told detectives he arrived at the residence to play video games with the homeowner and saw two strangers trying to pry the backdoor open.

He said he yelled at them and they ran into the woods. He said he called out to his friends in the home, but no one came to the door.

The defendant said he then stepped inside of the mobile home and again called out to his friend, who didn’t answer. He said he stepped into the breezeway and called out to his friend once more.

Brooks said that’s when the homeowner shot him, thinking he was a burglar.

The victim told police he returned home from work and turned off all the lights. He was lying on the ground resting when he heard a knock on the door.

“He stated he laid on the ground very quietly and waited for the person to announce who they were, but no one said anything,” Odom said. “Then he heard someone say, ‘They’re gone, man.’ ”

He said he heard someone prying the door open and called 911. He told police that the dispatch caller said she couldn’t hear him whispering, so she hung up on him twice.

The homeowner said he then called his friend and told him to call police for him.

“Before police could arrive, the suspect gained entry and was attempting to come down the hallway but didn’t realize that the victim was lying on the floor with a firearm,” Odom testified. “When the suspect passed the threshold of the residence, the victim began to discharge his firearm. The victim believes he fired four shots before he dropped the magazine and reloaded.”

Authorities said the suspect left the residence while he was reloading.

The victim said he waited for police arrived and left his home with his hands in the air, leaving his weapon on the floor. Police detained him on the scene to question him about the incident.

“The victim said he didn’t know the suspect who entered his residence due to it being so dark inside and the plastic covers were covering his door,” Odom told the court.

The victim and his roommate recognized Brooks as someone they played Grand Theft Auto with online. They only knew him by his gamertag and they had not met him in person before the shooting.

After gathering statements from multiple people, authorities determined that Brooks was trying to break into the victim’s home while he was at work. He was arrested after being treated at the hospital.

Police said further investigation indicated that there was a second suspect, who has yet to be identified.

They found a crowbar, hatchet and a cellphone in the woods outside of the residence. Odom said they are in the process of downloading information off the phone to determine who owns it.

Sarah Robinson: 706-571-8622, @sarahR_92

This story was originally published December 22, 2017 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Columbus man shot a home invader - and it turned out to be his gaming friend, police say."