A 77-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a double shooting Sunday in Walton County, authorities said.
Opel Wesley Lackey is accused of killing one person and injuring another on River Run Road, about 10 miles northeast of downtown Monroe.
The sheriff’s office responded to the location at around 11:30 a.m. following a report that two people were shot by their neighbor, later identified as Lackey, whose whereabouts were unknown at the time, according to an incident report.
The victim who died was identified as 23-year-old Chandler Martin. The other victim, Mario Regalado-Bonilla, who is in his mid 30s, was found suffering from a gunshot wound, the report said.
According to an arrest warrant obtained Thursday, Lackey is accused of pulling out a chrome handgun during an argument with Regalado-Bonilla before shooting Martin in the chest. The suspect then shot Regalado-Bonilla in the lower abdomen, police said.
The shooting occurred on Regalado-Bonilla’s property and was witnessed by three other people, the warrant stated.
Family members said Martin worked as a landscaper and was doing a job for Regalado-Bonilla at the home before the incident.
Credit: Walton County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Walton County Sheriff's Office
After taking the victims safely away from the shooting scene, deputies learned that Lackey was inside a neighboring home. They established a perimeter before a man exited the residence and said his grandfather was the shooter, authorities said. Deputies then made contact with Lackey and took him into custody.
Lackey was booked into the county jail and is facing one count of murder, two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of possession of a firearm/knife during the commission of or attempt to commit certain crimes, according to online records.
Regalado-Bonilla is recovering at his home. Deputies said the investigation remains active.
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