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BUFORD, GA – Gwinnett County Police have arrested a 22-year-old man after an innocent bystander was injured by gunfire outside a Buford business.
Officers responded to Tavern at Mall of GA, located at 2720 Mall of Georgia Boulevard, on Aug. 9 after a shooting was reported. Investigators determined that Jalyn Watkins had been removed from the business and appeared to be intoxicated when he retrieved a handgun from a vehicle. Watkins fired one round into the ground, causing shrapnel to strike a 25-year-old man in the back.
The victim had no involvement in the incident and was simply in the parking lot when the shot was fired. After hearing the gunshot, the victim said that he felt something strike his back and ran away from the armed suspect. His injuries were ultimately determined to be non-life-threatening, according to the investigation.
Watkins left the scene following the shooting. Officers used Flock cameras to quickly identify the vehicle and track it to an apartment complex on Buford Drive, which ultimately led to Watkins being identified, located, and taken into custody within hours of the shooting.
Detectives also recovered the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting. Watkins was transported to the Gwinnett County Jail and charged with Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of Certain Crimes, Discharge of a Firearm on the Property of Another, and Unauthorized Discharge of a Firearm Within 50 Yards of a Public Highway.
Jalyn Watkins/Photo via Gwinnett County Police Department