BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
A 71-year-old grandfather has died after being shot in the chest overnight in his home located in the 1400 block of Ingram Road. His grandson is in custody at the Elmore County Jail accused of firing the gun.
Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin tells the EAN that Thomas Parker died from a single gunshot to the chest, that was allegedly fired by Jeremiah Long, 21, who was also residing in the home.
From what investigators have learned, Long had been in Georgia involved in a drug rehabilitation program, but had returned to live with his grandparents on Ingram Road.
“What we believe happened is that in the middle of the night, the Long subject went the grandparents’ bedroom and took a cell phone while the grandparents were sleeping. Later, around 3 a.m. he went into the room and demanded the keys to a van. When the grandfather refused to hand over the keys, there was an argument, and Long fired one time into the victim’s chest.”
The shooter remained on scene, and without their cell phone nearby, the grandmother could not call for help, Franklin said.
“However, at the first opportunity she had, the grandmother was able to retrieve a second cell phone she had hidden away and called her daughter. From there, our deputies were notified. But because of the delay, it was about an hour later before help arrived. The argument can be made that if our deputies or medical personnel were notified sooner, they could have rendered aid immediately and Parker may have survived. But that was not the case.”
Long is in the Elmore County Jail and bond has not yet been set as charges are pending.
“This is a very sad and gruesome story,” Sheriff Franklin said.
We will update this article with charges involved in this case, Long’s mugshot and more information as it becomes available.
This is the first homicide for Elmore County this year.
