Police identify suspect in deadly Peachtree Mall shooting
An 18-year-old man has been identified as the suspect in Saturday evening’s fatal shooting at the Peachtree Mall, according to Columbus police.
Xzavaien Jones of Columbus is wanted on a murder warrant related to the death of 24-year-old Anthony Meredith, whose mother said he was shopping for his 3-year-old daughter when he was gunned down at the mall at 3131 Manchester Expressway.
Officials said they responded to the scene at 7:28 p.m. and found the University of Phoenix graduate lying at the southwest entrance of the shopping center. He was rushed to Midtown Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead of multiple gunshot wounds at 8:05 p.m., said Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.
The shopping center was open Monday and has maintained normal hours of operation.
Peachtree Mall general manager Onassis Burress told the Ledger-Enquirer via email Monday that everything has been “going as planned” since the shooting, which he described as “isolated in nature.”
“They have tons of mall walkers out here today, so everything’s looking good,” Burress wrote.
Their background
A police report showed Meredith also was the victim of an Oct. 29 shooting that occurred in the 4800 block of Delray Drive, where the bullet went through his left cheek and into his right chest cavity.
The report listed no suspects, but said a tan or champagne SUV (possibly a Ford Expedition or Ford Explorer) was seen in the area.
According to Muscogee County court records, Jones last year was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and with felony possession, manufacture and distribution of cocaine.
On Aug. 28, his bonds were set at $358 on the misdemeanor and $5,971 on the felony. Moses Bonding put up the bonds, according to court records. The case apparently remains unresolved.
Court records listed Jones’ address as 4220 Forrest Road. A check of Meredith’s criminal history revealed documents listing his address as 2613 Tupelo Drive, off Forrest Road about four blocks east of Jones’ residence.
According to Meredith’s record, he on July 22, 2013, was indicted on charges stemming from two separate incidents the previous year:
Authorities alleged that on March 20, 2012, he was speeding 52 mph in a 30-mph zone on Floyd Road, driving while his license was suspended and wearing no seat belt. Police also charged him with possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it, and with obstructing officers by running from them.
Police further alleged that on the following April 23, Meredith on Forrest Road again was driving while his license was suspended, again obstructed police by running away, and again possessed marijuana with the intent of distributing it.
He pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2013, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison with 12 months to serve on a single drug charge and 12 months to serve concurrently on one count each of driving while his license was suspended and obstructing police. He was fined $500.
On March 18, 2015, Meredith was back in jail after his probation officer filed notice that he had failed to report on Dec. 29, 2014, and had fallen $2,128 behind on paying fines and court fees. On July 2, a judge sentenced Meredith to 120 days in jail, but with credit for the time he already served.
Because Meredith was a trusty who worked in the Columbus Stockade kitchen, he got extra credit for his time and was released that same day, authorities said.
The third time
Saturday’s shooting was the third report of gunfire at Peachtree Mall in more than a month.
A 16-year-old girl was shot in the back on March 4 in an apparent dispute. Pierre Marquez Tolbert, the 25-year-old suspected assailant, was charged Sunday in connection with the incident reported to have occurred in the south parking lot of Macy’s.
Authorities also investigated an apparent gunshot fired into the floor a week before. A gun discharged in the pocket of a shopper, said Capt. Renee McAneny with the Columbus Patrol Services Division.
The mall manager Monday issued an emailed statement regarding security at the shopping complex that first opened Aug. 5, 1975:
“The safety and well-being of our visitors and employees are always our top priorities, not just when tragedies occur. Peachtree Mall has a customized public safety program that entails different measures for various scenarios to include the hiring of off-duty police officers. Some of the measures are visible to our shoppers, like our trained security team and relationships with local law enforcement; other measures are not as visible. We constantly review and evaluate our security procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone who walks through our doors. We do not discuss our public safety measures because by doing so would compromise the integrity of the security program. But I want to emphasize, safety and security are our priorities every day.”
Anyone with any information about Jones or the fatal mall shooting is encouarged to call Sgt. Ken Hudson at 706-225-4257, email him at khudson@columbusga.org. or call the Robbery/Assault Unit at 706-653-3400.
Sarah Robinson: 706-571-8622, @sarahR_92
Staff writer Tony Adams contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 7:39 AM with the headline "Police identify suspect in deadly Peachtree Mall shooting."