Five Small Children Killed in Oklahoma Shooting

On Tuesday morning, five small children and one man were killed in a shooting that occurred in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Officers responded about 1:30 a.m. to a call of multiple people shot at a home in the city about 45 miles southeast of Tulsa. Reportedly, when police arrived the suspect was on the scene with a loaded firearm but escaped as the officer shot and missed.

The 25-year-old male, Jarron Deajon Pridgeon, 25, a brother of one of the victims, was later found and taken into custody. The victims have been identified as the children of Brittany Anderson. They are Jalaiya, age two, Jaidus, age three, Harmony, age five, Neveah, age six, and Quedynce, who was nine. The man found dead at the scene was identified as Javarion Lee, age 24, the brother of the shooting suspect,

According to law enforcement, one man and four children were found dead, and a fifth child died at a Tulsa hospital. Officer Lynn Hamlin, who said they are in the early stages of the investigation, described the event as terrible. She added:

A woman was also taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries but is now stable. Authorities don’t yet have a motive but do not believe any other suspects are involved. We don’t believe that it’s random but we just don’t have details yet of the why or what happened.

The city mourns this tragic event. There are approximately 39,000 people that live in the City of Muskogee. It is home to the only school that is solely devoted to the blind. The Oklahoma School for the Blind provides education options for blind or visually impaired students from infancy to age 21.

The suspect in the brutal killing of these five small children was captured on a Facebook video rapping about drugs and violence. Additionally, online court records show that Pridgeon had several run-ins with the law. He was arrested in 2017, for larceny of an automobile. This case was ultimately dismissed. The victim in the car theft case was identified in court records as Brittany Anderson.

Another instance occurred in February 2019, where he was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, threatening to perform acts of violence, and malicious injury to private property. These charges arose after he threw two large pieces of cement at a Muskogee woman and threatened to kill her. The cement landed on the door of her apartment the first time and hit her on the side the second time, court records show.

In June 2019, he was charged with obstruction, resisting an officer, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Pridgeon refused to give a Muskogee police officer his name during a domestic abuse investigation and then ran away, court records show. Police found a marijuana blunt in his pocket when he was later caught.

He pleaded guilty in September 2019 to a felony count of assault and battery and five misdemeanor counts to resolve both cases. Under a plea agreement, he was put on probation for three years, fined, and ordered to complete an anger management program.

Neighbors said they did not know the family who lived in the house because they had recently moved in. Neaoma Nitter, who lives across the street from the family, said she never saw anything unusual or noticed any traffic moving in or out of the house. Another neighbor, Damon Smith, described the children as very friendly. Both neighbors said this is a “big shock.”

Two of the dead were students at Creek Elementary School, Muskogee Public Schools said. Grief counseling will be provided for students and staff. Jarod Mendenhall, the school’s superintendent, added:

We are saddened by this tragic loss and our deepest sympathies go out to all of those impacted. No words can adequately express our sadness in losing these students and our thoughts and prayers are with this family. We will make every effort to help our students and staff through this difficult time.

Pridgeon is being held without bond in the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility on complaints of first-degree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The deadly incident occurred at a residence located at 903 Indiana Street in Muskogee, OK. As the investigation continues, the city is left mourning the death of five small children and one man.

By Cherese Jackson (Virginia)

Sources:

CBS News: Five children among six killed in Oklahoma shooting
NY Times: Five Children and One Man Are Killed in Oklahoma Shooting
Facebook: The County (Jarron Pridgeon’s Video)

Image Credits:

Top / Featured Image Courtesy of Gerd Altmann’s Pixabay Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Facebook Video – Jarron Pridgeon