Columbus police charge man with murder in 2020 homicide of 20 year old

An arrest has been made in the 2020 fatal shooting of 20-year-old Daijon Cooks, according to a news release Tuesday from the Columbus Police Department.

Jamarious Lawan General, 20, was charged with murder in Cooks’ death. He was already in the Muscogee County Jail on unrelated charges, the release said.

General is scheduled to have a Recorder’s Court hearing at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

On December 19, 2020, officers were called to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital in response to a gunshot victim. Cooks died by the time the officers arrived, and CPD’s homicide unit then assumed the investigation. This case marked the 45th homicide in 2020.

Officials are encouraging anyone with information about this case to contact Sgt. D. Baker at 706-225-4296 or dbaker@columbusga.org. Those who would like to remain anonymous may call 706-653-3188 or text VACS plus their message to 274637 (CRIMES).

Brittany McGee

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Brittany McGee is the community issues reporter for the Ledger-Enquirer. She is a 2021 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Media and Journalism with a second degree in Economics. She began at the Ledger-Enquirer as a Report for America corps member covering the COVID-19 recovery in Columbus. Brittany also covered business for the Ledger-Enquirer.