After an incident that took place at a hotel in Orlando, a man was found guilty of murdering another man by shooting him in the chest, head, and neck on three separate occasions.
After he shot and killed a man in the lobby of an Orlando hotel in 2021, Jackson Charles, who was 35 years old at the time, was found guilty by a jury in Orange County of Second Degree Murder (with a Firearm) and Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon.
In the lobby of the Days Inn hotel located in the 3300 block of South Orange Blossom Trail, the defendant and the victim, Randolph Chamberlin, who was 30 years old at the time, engaged in a violent altercation on June 2, 2021.
Charles and Chamberlin entered the lobby of the hotel in close proximity to one another. After the defendant took a pistol out of his backpack, the two guys started arguing with each other and pushing each other toward each other.
Charles fired four shots at Chamberlin during the dispute, one of which was aimed at the chest, while the other three were directed at the head and the neck.
The entire incident was captured on tape by a surveillance camera stationed at the hotel. The defendant was recognized by a hotel clerk who was present during the confrontation, and the hotel manager discovered that Charles was a frequent visitor to the establishment.
After the shooting, Charles exited the hotel, and witnesses saw him running away from the parking lot and onto Orange Blossom Trail, heading in a westerly direction.
An arrest warrant was filed for Charles by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and on June 9, 2024, the authorities were able to find and take him into custody there.
During the course of the trial, the defendant asserted that the shooting was an act of self-defense. The video footage, on the other hand, demonstrated that Charles was the major aggressor who made the initial contact with the victim.
Moreover, because the defendant has been convicted of a felony, the law mandates that he must withdraw from threats before engaging in any form of physical contact.
A jury found Charles guilty on two charges: second-degree murder (with a firearm) with a special finding of discharge causing death and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon with a special finding of actual possession. The trial lasted for five days.
It has been reported by the office of the State Attorney that he will be sentenced later this year, and he may be subject to a term of life in prison.