A multi-day manhunt is underway in Sand Hill Village for a gunman suspected of killing 21-year-old Jahrule Gibson, with local law enforcement confirming a long-running personal rivalry as the likely trigger for the fatal shooting.
The shooting took place on Friday, October 2, just days before authorities publicly outlined their working theory of the crime on October 5. According to police spokesperson Romero, both the victim and the prime suspect are already known to local law enforcement, though the alleged attacker remains at large as of the latest update.
Details from the preliminary investigation paint a clear picture of the lead-up to the violence: Gibson had left his home roughly half an hour before the attack, traveling alongside another man on horseback to a local shop. While en route or at the location, a gunman disguised in a black hoodie and dark long trousers opened fire on Gibson before escaping the scene in a silver sport utility vehicle. First responders and crime scene investigators later recovered 13 spent 9mm bullet casings from the area where the shooting occurred, a key piece of evidence for the ongoing investigation.
Romero confirmed that the attack stemmed from an ongoing dispute between Gibson and the suspect rooted in local tensions in Sand Hill Village. “They had some rivalry in that area, and that is what led to the shooting,” Romero stated in an official briefing to reporters. Police have not released additional details about the suspect’s identity or the exact nature of the rivalry, citing the active status of the manhunt to avoid compromising the investigation.
Local residents have been urged to contact police with any information regarding the suspect’s whereabouts or the events of October 2 that could help investigators bring the case to a close.