Jacksonville, AL — An arrest has been made in connection with a Christmas Eve shootout that injured four people at the Hickory Run Apartments, according to Jacksonville Police Chief Marcus Wood.
Brandon Dandridge, 24, of Talladega, was arrested Wednesday evening by the Jacksonville Police Department. Dandridge was identified as a suspect in the shooting, which occurred after 10:30 p.m. on December 24 during a Christmas Eve gathering inside the apartment complex’s community room. Authorities confirmed that Dandridge was also one of the four individuals injured during the gunfire.
The incident began when a fight broke out inside the community room during a party that had been authorized through apartment management. The altercation later spilled outside and escalated into a shootout. More than 100 people were reportedly in attendance, and investigators noted that several vehicles fled the scene as shots were fired.
All four victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Officials previously confirmed that all but one of the victims underwent surgery and have since been released from medical care.
Dandridge has been charged with second-degree assault, a Class C felony. His bond has been set at $20,000, and his court date is scheduled for January 29.
“We believe this is the first arrest of many,” Wood said. “Investigators have been working nonstop since this happened, and will continue to work until we’re able to obtain warrants for all the other shooters involved.”
Wood thanked the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office and the Talladega County Drug Task Force for assisting in locating Dandridge.
“We take these kinds of crimes seriously, and we investigate them seriously,” Wood said. “We recognize our suspects don’t live in Jacksonville, and maybe not even Calhoun County, but we’ll go wherever we need to find them and put a stop to this kind of activity.”
Authorities believe additional suspects involved in the shooting remain at large, and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information related to the shooting is encouraged to submit tips anonymously through Alabama Crime Stoppers by calling 334-215-7867 or visiting 215stop.com, or by contacting the Jacksonville Police Department.
