A 25-year-old Oklahoma man was charged with the fatal shooting of his brother and five young children
MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma – A 25-year-old Oklahoma man was charged with murder on Wednesday for the deaths of his brother and five young children, police said.
Muskogee’s Jarron Deajon Pridgeon was charged with six counts of first-degree murder, shooting with intent to kill and possession of a firearm during probation, court records show.
Muskogee police said they still do not know why Pridgeon fatally shot Javarion Lee, 24, or the children, the oldest of whom was 9. The children’s mother, Brittany Anderson, was also injured in the shooting on Tuesday and was hospitalized in Tulsa.
The police identified the murdered children as Jalaiya Pridgeon, 1; Jaidus Pridgeon, 3; Harmony Anderson, 5; Neveah Pridgeon, 6; and Que’dynce Anderson, 9.
The court and prison records do not list a lawyer who could speak on behalf of Pridgeon.
Pridgeon and the victims lived in the house where the shootings took place, Muskogee police said. Neighbors told Muskogee Phoenix that they had recently moved in, but that children used to play outside.
Raven Anderson, who is a children’s aunt, told Tulsa KOTV TV that Pridgeon was the father of three of the murdered children.
“They were great kids, they were smart, full of happiness, energy. They were, they just loved life, ”she said. “Honestly, it would be great if everyone continued to pray.”
Court records show that Pridgeon received a postponed sentence in 2019 after being charged with two criminal charges for allegedly throwing two large pieces of cement at a woman, hitting her in the torso. A judge in this case ordered a mental health observation and assessment, but the results are sealed. Pridgeon’s lawyer in that case, Brian Watts, did not immediately return a message asking for comment.
Muskogee is a city of just under 40,000, about 70 kilometers southeast of Tulsa.