JaKyle Harris, 18, is accused of shooting and killing Dustin Donovan Smith during an altercation early Sunday morning.
The police chief says JaKyle Harris was attending a Halloween party at the VFW Hall at the Fayette County Fairgrounds in La Grange. While at the party, the chief says five or six people got into an argument. Two shots were fired just before 3am, and police say Harris was the only person in attendance with a gun.
Police say one bullet killed Smith, and the other struck another man who was taken to Columbus Hospital with minor injuries.
JaKyle Harris was arrested at his home in Weimer 13 hours later. Police say they recovered a pistol behind his home. Two other people were also arrested, accused of bleaching the gun so police wouldn't be able to track it.
"It was a .32 caliber pistol that was recovered," said La Grange Police Chief Jackie Skelton. "The gun was tampered with. The individuals in the Weimar area had bleached the gun, trying to destroy evidence that was on there. The Ranger and my investigator, along with the officers from Weimar located the gun. It was hanging on a fence, I believe, behind the residence."
Police say more arrests and charges may be forthcoming in this case.
Family friends say Harris is a popular boy and a good student who did nothing wrong, but was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Harris is now in jail on a $750,000 bond, charged with first degree murder.
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