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Police: Man killed children and their mother before turning gun on himself
The apparent murders–suicide occurred in southern Stafford.
Date published: 5/6/2008
BY KEITH EPPS and ELLEN BILTZ
A man accused of killing his two small children, their mother and himself Monday night in southern Stafford was heavily armed, police said.
Aaron Poseidon Jackson, 24, was wearing a bulletproof vest and was surrounded by guns and scads of ammunition when police found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday night in the Walt Lou Trailer Park off U.S. 1.
Before ending his own life, police said, Jackson took the lives of 23-year-old Lastasha Nicole Thomas and their two children—1½-year-old Aaron Neptune Jackson and 2½-year-old Nicole Aaron Jackson.
All four victims were shot in the head.
Thomas was shot with an AK-47 assault rifle, Sheriff Charles Jett said, while the others were shot with a .38-caliber handgun.
Thomas and Jackson were dead in the living room when police entered 7 Walt Way just south of Drew Middle School about 9:40 p.m.
The .38 was still in his hand, police said, and the AK-47 was lying nearby.
The children were lying in a crib in the bedroom they shared, Jett said. They were rushed out for emergency treatment, but pronounced dead a short time later.
Police later searched the trailer and seized at least seven guns, six knifes, a machete, a sword and numerous boxes of ammunition, according to a search warrant filed today in Stafford Circuit Court.
Jett said police at this point can only speculate as to why Jackson, who had a concealed handgun permit, had so much weaponry and what spurred his actions.
“We may never know,” Jett said. “There can be no explanation for this horrific and senseless tragedy.”
According to Jett, the couple had lived together at the trailer park for about six months. They may have lived at an apartment off U.S. 17 in Stafford before that, he said.
When Jackson was given a traffic ticket on April 24, his address was listed as 11537 Timothy Court in Spotsylvania, court records show.
Police said they were not aware of any serious criminal activity involving Jackson prior to Monday.
Jett said that as far as the Sheriff’s Office knew, the couple had no history of domestic violence. Neighbors said they didn’t know the couple well, but they seemed to get along OK.
But the investigation has revealed that Monday was anything but OK even before the fatal shootings.
According to sheriff’s spokesman Bill Kennedy, Thomas had called a family member twice Monday to request that she be picked up. She told the relative that she’d been physically assaulted by Jackson.
Read more stories about Stafford
Date published: 5/6/2008
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My heart goes out to everyone involved! WHY at a time like this do people find anything to complain about (.The FLS later than other media broadcasts of the event). The Free Lance Star absolutely HAD to ensure it had ALL the facts right before releasing the story, or they could have had a HEFTY lawsuit against them for printing incorrect details. Please people try to have SOME understanding instead of just complaining.
I am so very sorry for the babies...can't even imagine
go out to the family and loved ones. Those sweet babies were just innocent victims. Words can not express my sorrow for the families and friends.
To Late Press: By the time fredericksburg.com posted anything about the shootings, other news organizations had already reported details released by the Sheriff's Dept., including the names of the victims and the circumstances leading up to the shootings. So the idea that the FLS was just waiting to have all the facts isn't valid - other news organizations had already verified the facts and reported them.
given the horrible circumstances, but are you kidding? Channel 9 news had brief coverage at 11PM. The Washington Post had a short but up-to-date article in place around 3AM. The FLS didn't have ANYTHING in print or on the web until more than TWELVE HOURS after the incident. What if there had been a suspect still at large? Yes, I do want to know about what is happening in my back yard sooner than twelve hours later. In this day and age, timely reporting is a requirement to stay in the news business.
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Not a time to complain
(posted by
MnA_Mom
, May 6, 2008 10:32 pm)
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