Coroner identifies father, son killed in Columbus motel shooting Saturday evening

Authorities have identified the victims in a Saturday evening double homicide that wounded a woman and child at a Columbus motel.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said the deceased are Michael Carter Sr., 54, and his son Michael Carter Jr., 19.

Both were pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds at 9:48 p.m. at the Motel 6, 3050 Victory Drive, Bryan said.

Carter Sr.’s wife was hit in the neck and critically wounded, Bryan said. She remains in Piedmont Columbus Regional hospital, he said.

The coroner said a child, whose age was not immediately available, was also wounded in the shooting, and has been sent to Egleston Hospital in Atlanta.

All were shot in a room at the motel, Bryan said.

In a news release Sunday afternoon, Columbus police said officers were called to the motel at 9:09 p.m., and asked anyone with information on the shooting to contact Sgt. Donna Baker at 706-225-4296 or dbaker@columbusga.org.

The two fatal shootings bring Columbus’ homicide total so far this year to eight. Five were in the past four days.

This story was originally published February 19, 2023 at 9:58 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.