Investigators probe two homicides, reported Russian roulette fatality from Thanksgiving weekend

ALBANY – The Dougherty County coroner’s office and Albany Police Department are investigating three Thanksgiving-holiday deaths, including a teenager who reportedly died while playing Russian roulette, and two apparent homicides.

Michael Jackson, 15, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler said. The fatal shooting occurred on Sunday afternoon. 

“The ones around him said he was playing Russian roulette,” Fowler said. “They’re still investigating to see if that’s what happened.”

At about 7:25 a.m. on Saturday, the coroner responded to a slaying at an apartment complex at 316 Carriage Lane, where a motorist reported finding a body near the intersection of South West Road and East Broad Avenue in east Albany. 

Albany police responded to the scene at about 8:07 a.m., where victim Michael Ray McConnell had been spotted.

Police initially suspected that McConnell may have been struck by a car. An autopsy performed on Tuesday indicated that McConnell, 64, was fatally stabbed, Fowler said. 

At about 7 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a reported shooting at an apartment complex at 316 Carriage Lane. 

The victim, 19-year-old Javion Jackson, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Some of the family members said he got in an altercation with someone and ran outside,” Fowler said.

The holiday weekend homicides bring the number of slayings in Dougherty County to 22 for the year.