Police: Peachtree Mall homicide was gang-related revenge shooting

Xzavaien Jones was seeking revenge for the death of a fellow Crip gang member when he fatally shot Anthony Meredith on March 26 at Peachtree Mall, according to testimony Wednesday morning in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Jones, 18, of Columbus pleaded not guilty to one count each of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He was ordered held in the Muscogee County Jail without bond on the murder charge but given a $25,000 bond on the other charge.

Represented by attorney Tim Flournoy, Jones didn’t testify in court.

Columbus police said they found the 24-year-old man lying near the southwest entrance of the shopping center, 3131 Manchester Expressway, with at least eight gunshot wounds on May 26 around 7:28 p.m.

Meredith, who was visiting the mall to purchase Easter clothes for his 3-year-old daughter, was rushed to Midtown Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 8:05 p.m., Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said.

Detective Kenneth Hudson with the Columbus Police Department’s Robbery/Homicide Division said officials seized 10 shell casings from the scene but have yet to recover the weapon.

After speaking with witnesses and reviewing video evidence of the gunman fleeing the scene in a vehicle, police identified Jones as the shooter. A search warrant was executed at Jones’ residence on Forest Road, where police said they found a photo album containing a picture of Christopher Twitty, the defendant’s sister and their child.

Detectives said Twitty is an OG Crip gang member who brought Jones into the group. Twitty was fatally shot on Nov. 21 at his Wickam Drive home, officials said.

Police believe Jones killed Meredith as revenge for Twitty’s death. Hudson clarified that Meredith has not been identified as a gang member, but there was some animosity between Meredith and the defendant.

When Flournoy asked whether a suspect has been named in Twitty’s killing, Hudson stated that he wasn’t sure since he wasn’t working the case. No one has been charged in Twitty’s death.

Warrants were issued for Jones on March 28 and he turned himself in Monday afternoon at his attorney’s First Avenue office.

“At the end of the day, he’ll be totally exonerated,” said Flournoy, who maintained his client’s innocence. “That’s the only thing I’m sure of in this case.”

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Police: Peachtree Mall homicide was gang-related revenge shooting."