Bibb County Sheriff’s Office addresses slow response time to house shootings in Macon

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office is addressing response time concerns following two shootings at the same Macon home in less than two weeks.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is addressing its response time to two shootings in two weeks at a Macon residence.

In the early morning hours of June 29, William Jackson says he woke up to bullets flying through his home on Mickey Drive.

Around 1:50 a.m.,Jackson called 911, but he says deputies didn’t arrive until around 3:30 a.m.. While he was waiting, Jackson says he called for help two more times.

Law Enforcement Operations Colonel Henderson Carswell, who oversees the Patrol Division of the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed that Jackson made three 911 calls but says a deputy was on the scene within 20 minutes of the first call.

“The first deputy actually received a call about 1:52 a.m., and he arrived at 2:10 a.m.,, but he went through and it was kind of quiet, so he cleared the call and got back in service,” Carswell said. “And then of course Mr. Jackson called back, and then the call got re-dispatched.”

Both the homeowner and deputies thought it was an isolated incident.

But less than two weeks after the first shooting, another shooting happened on the morning of July the 12 at the same home.

According to Col. Carswell, evidence supports that the shootings were not in retaliation to any kind of dispute. Instead, he believes the suspects may have mistaken Jackson’s home for another address.

“These people have opportunity,” Carswell said. “All they wait for is an opportunity, and we can’t be there all the time. Then there’s something that’s going on between two entities and the resident, that homeowner is not involved in any way.”

Carswell says this time, a deputy made contact with Jackson within 20 minutes of the 911 call. 

He says in the event of a shooting, residents should call 911, stay low to the ground until deputies arrive and make sure the area is safe.

“We’re coming,” Carswell said. “And on calls like that, believe me, we’re coming.”

Carswell recommends residents get a home security camera to help provide law enforcement with additional evidence.

He says the sheriff’s office has an idea of who the suspects might be and feels confident the suspects will be caught.

“We increased our patrols,” he said. “Our people who are out there, they know what they’re looking for, they know who they’re looking for, and so we’re going to stay in that area to make sure that not only that resident, but all the people that live there feel comfortable with the sheriff’s office’s presence there.”

Carswell urges residents to report any suspicious activity. He says any information can help law enforcement keep the community safe and that any tips to the sheriff’s office remain anonymous.

If you have tips, call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 751-7500.