Man Shot, Killed At Pryor Motel Identified; Suspect In Custody

A man is in jail after Pryor Police say he shot and killed an innocent person outside of a motel. Investigators say the shooting is random since the victim and suspect did not know each other.

Police say the victim is Aaron Gonzales, a man from Mexico who was here for work and staying at the EconoLodge motel. Other guests tell News On 6 it is shocking to hear something like this go down.

James Jackson is in the Mayes County jail facing a first degree murder charge after police say he killed Gonzales.

Investigators say Jackson came to the motel looking for a friend and started calling out a name. They say Gonzales walked towards Jackson’s car and he fired several shots at him.

Officers say Jackson then took off. They say dispatchers got 911 calls from witnesses—and Jackson himself.

“The suspect said that he had just shot someone on 911 and that he was headed towards Choteau Police Department to turn himself in,” said Jeremy Cantrell, Pryor Police Chief.

Before Jackson could get there, Cantrell says Mayes County deputies pulled him over and took him into custody. Investigators say more guns were found inside Jackson’s car.

“There was three pistols found in the vehicle, an AR-15 in the vehicle and a loaded shotgun in the vehicle,” said Cantrell.

Police say Jackson admitted that he did not know Gonzales when he started shooting. Cantrell thinks the situation could have been even worse with other innocent people standing outside the motel.

“The suspect had some mental health problems, it appeared,” said Cantrell. “If you look at some social media history, there was some flags there.”

Jackson is in the Mayes County jail for murder and for having guns as a convicted felon. Police say the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is now handling the case.