Columbus man gunned down at Elizabeth Canty Homes is city’s first homicide of 2020

A 26-year-old Columbus man found dead on the scene of a shooting early Wednesday morning at Elizabeth Canty Homes is the city’s first homicide of 2020.

Javante Jackson was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound at 2:09 a.m., said Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.

Bryan said Deputy Coroner Elizabeth Allison was called to the housing complex off Cusseta Road at 1:30 a.m. after police found Jackson shot and unresponsive at 1:15 a.m.

Police are looking for two males who allegedly left the scene of the crime in a white sedan, according to a news release.

Anyone with information about the homicide should contact Columbus police Cpl. Sherman Hayes at 706-225-4268 or shayes@columbusga.org.

Columbus just ended 2019 with 41 homicides, two fewer than a recent peak of 43 in 2017. It had 34 homicides in 2018, according to the coroner’s count.

This story was originally published January 1, 2020 at 11:09 AM.

Tim Chitwood

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

706-571-8508

Tim Chitwood is from Seale, Alabama, and started as a police beat reporter with the Ledger-Enquirer in 1982. He since has covered Columbus’ serial killings and other homicides, following some from the scene of the crime to trial verdicts and ensuing appeals. He also has been a Ledger-Enquirer humor columnist since 1987. He’s a graduate of Auburn University, and started out working for the weekly Phenix Citizen in Phenix City, Ala.