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In a tragic turn of events in Rockledge, Florida, an 18-year-old has been apprehended in connection with the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old that occurred approximately two weeks ago. Authorities have identified the suspect as Tauje Malik Jackson, who was taken into custody on Thursday morning. He faces a charge of manslaughter, according to the arrest records.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of November 8, when Rockledge police responded to an emergency call from a residence on Ferndale Avenue. The caller reported that someone had been shot, and when pressed for details, indicated that the shooting was accidental, according to the arrest affidavit.
Upon arrival, police discovered the young victim lying unresponsive on a couch, suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Despite being rushed to the hospital, the teenager unfortunately succumbed to his injuries, as confirmed by the authorities.
Interviews with multiple witnesses revealed that the victim and Jackson were alone in the room at the time of the shooting. Witnesses largely recounted seeing Jackson flee the scene following the sound of a gunshot, as detailed in the affidavit.
Multiple witnesses told police that the shooting occurred when the 16-year-old was alone in the room with Jackson, with most of the witnesses saying they saw Jackson run away after a single shot was fired, the affidavit states.
Witnesses said further that the victim allegedly told them “he shot me” before becoming nonverbal, as well as that Jackson “previously was pointing (two) firearms at multiple witnesses” and sent one of them a message after the incident stating, “I’m sorry bro,” according to the affidavit.
Jackson was being held on no bond at the time of this report.
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