Update: July 7 at 6 p.m.
A 34-year-old man is in custody after a shooting on Barker Lane near Berea on Monday afternoon that left his 64-year-old roommate dead, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.
“Just before 8 p.m. deputies responded to a shots fired call,” Sgt. Michael Stotts of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday. “Once they arrived, they recognized that there was one individual who had been shot, who subsequently died of his injuries.”
That individual was 64-year-old Eddie Matthews. According to the sheriff's office, 34-year-old Jake McClure was arrested and charged with one county of murder (domestic violence).
“They were roommates at this residence,” Stotts said.
Investigators say the roommates were arguing when the shooting happened. According to the citation, McClure told deputies that he shot Matthews.
One line from the citation reads, “McClure stated he thought to himself “Should I do it? Should I not do it?," referring to picking up the firearm that was on a kitchen table.”
McClure said he picked up a pistol and first fired a round into the ground. He said Matthews grabbed him, and that’s when McClure told deputies “he raised the gun and fired into Matthews.”
Stotts reports that although he does not know if police had responded to the home before, he does know there was a history of domestic violence but is unaware of "the extent of that," he said.
Court records obtained by LEX News show that McClure sought a Domestic Violence Order against Matthews in 2017. However, court documents state the case was dismissed without sufficient evidence to issue an Interpersonal Protective Order.
“We don't want to see any kind of domestic abuse or domestic violence,” Stotts said, “especially these things that ultimately result in the tragic events of a murder.”
McClure is set for arraignment at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning.
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Original Story:
A 34-year-old man is in custody after a shooting at a Barker Lane East residence that left a 64-year-old man dead, according to the Madison-County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies responded to a shots fired call in the 200 block of Barker Lane East at around 7:54 p.m. Monday, officials reported.
A preliminary investigation revealed that 34-year-old Jake McClure and his reported roommate, 64-year-old Eddie Matthews, according to a citation, were reportedly involved in a domestic dispute. Matthews was shot during the incident.
McClure reportedly told police that he picked up the gun and allegedly fired one round into the ground, the citation detailed. McClure then allegedly shot Matthews.
The Madison County Coroner pronounced Matthews dead at 8:35 p.m., officials reported.
McClure is being held at the Madison County Detention Center on a charge of murder — domestic violence.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office Investigation Branch continues to investigate the case.
