Warner Robins Police Chief urges community action after Tuesday’s deadly shooting

A warrant has been issued for a teenager accused of shooting and killing a man at a convenience store in Warner Robins on Tuesday afternoon.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A warrant has been issued for a teenager accused of shooting and killing a man at a convenience store in Warner Robins on Tuesday afternoon.

Kidnapping, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm or commission of a crime and malice murder are the charges 18-year-old Javon Charles faces, according to Warner Robins Police Chief Wayne Fisher.

The teen is accused of shooting 24-year-old Zephaniah Langston at Pleezing Food Store on South Davis Drive.

Chief Fisher says Langston and Charles knew each other, and had a long-standing issue. He says Charles pointed a gun at Langston inside the store, forcing him outside, leading to a shootout between the two.

Charles was also shot during the incident, and still recovering in the hospital.

Chief Fisher says the violence needs to stop.

“No need for this kind of action and violence within our community,” he said. “It’s not accepted. It’s not tolerated.”

He then shared an important message for everyone in the community.

“I would encourage family members, parents that, again, in your household, if you have firearms, you should have them secured. You should be able to know what you have in firearms, and if you find firearms in your house that are not yours, then you need to do the proper thing and to try to get them to law enforcement to surrender and turn them in.”

Chief Fisher also voiced his frustration by saying our youth are the ones who ultimately suffer from tragedies like this.

“What are you doing to set a proper role model for your children? Because our children are seeing these actions and activities of their adults, their role models. What do you think that they will continue to perpetuate? When we’re tired of it as a society, we want and need to take responsibility for their own actions and set a proper role model for our children.”

Police say this is an ongoing investigation. Call the Warner Robins Police Department at (478) 302-5378 or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68CRIME if you have any information.