A Rhea County man is behind bars on a homicide charge in the fatal shooting of a child, 7, according to a court affidavit filed in General Sessions Court in Dayton.
Chris'tion Hamilton Jones, 19, of Dayton, is charged with criminal homicide in the shooting death of Jo-Zie Brown, 7, in a shooting incident that happened Jan. 14 and triggered an investigation by the Rhea County Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the affidavit states.
Inside the home, Detective Jesse Wilkey found what investigators believed was blood on the living room floor and a couch in the room, the affidavit states. Wilkey found a live cartridge on the floor in the living room, a spent cartridge in the kitchen area and three firearms on a bed.
At Rhea Medical Center's emergency room, Wilkey identified an apparent bullet wound to the boy's head, according to the document. The boy was transported from Dayton to Erlanger hospital in Chattanooga, where he died.
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Jones, according to the document, told Wilkey the day the shooting occurred he and the boy "were struggling over a gun causing an accidental discharge," the affidavit filed by Wilkey states.
But in another interview Jan. 19, Jones "confessed during the interview of discharging a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 9mm handgun, which he had pointed at Jo-Zie Brown's head causing his death," the affidavit states.
When contacted by phone, officials at the Rhea County Justice Center said no bond had been set for Jones, and he has a court date set for Feb. 6.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The Rhea County Justice Center, shown here on Dec. 4, 2020, is located just north of downtown Dayton, Tenn., on Rhea County Highway.