MARION COUNTY, FL – A male suspect is under arrest by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for an alleged murder occurring within the premises of a middle school parking lot, officials reported. Details suggest that a contentious verbal exchange spiraled into lethal gunfire. The defendant, Roderick Kelvin Watson Jr., is accused of shooting Joseph James Juarez Coles, leading to his subsequent death.
Eyewitnesses at the scene divulged to officers that Watson had drawn out a firearm and shot Coles, who wasn’t carrying any weapon, several times before he physically assaulted the unconscious victim. Upon their arrival, law enforcement found Watson calmly seated on a bench near the mortally wounded Coles.
Medical personnel rushed Coles to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Despite Watson’s defense of his actions being rooted in self-preservation, both evidence gathered and accounts of the incident from eyewitnesses negate his claim.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods expressed his sorrow over the incident in a statement. He noted, “I immediately put every available detective on this case, and I am proud of their work in getting this disgusting individual off our streets and away from our children.”
Watson, now dealing with a charge of second-degree murder, is presently in custody at the Marion County Jail, where he is being held without an opportunity for bail.