Lafayette, GA – A community in Walker County is in mourning following a tragic event over the weekend that left three people dead, including a father and daughter, in what authorities have described as a murder-suicide. The incident, which unfolded on Saturday night, has also left a local police officer critically injured.
Visitation for the father, Jack Denny, and his daughter, Jacklyn “Jackie” Payne, is scheduled for Friday, March 14 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Wilson Funeral Home. Another visitation will take place on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at Center Grove Baptist Church in Rock Spring, where their funeral services will follow at 2 p.m.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the shooter, identified as 54-year-old Russell David Payne of Marietta, GA, arrived at the residence where his estranged wife, Jacklyn, was staying with her father, Eugene Denny. The couple had been living separately prior to the incident. According to authorities, Russell Payne began firing multiple rounds into the back of the home upon arrival and continued to shoot as he entered the residence.
Jacklyn Payne and Eugene Denny were both fatally shot during the attack. Russell Payne subsequently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A fourth person in the home, a family friend, engaged with the shooter and is now in critical condition at a local hospital.
The violence also left another victim, 52-year-old Charles “Chuck” Dunn, a Chickamauga police officer who was off-duty at the time of the shooting. Dunn is currently hospitalized and remains in critical condition.
The Walker County Sheriff’s Office was first alerted to the shooting around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, with initial reports indicating that the shooter was an estranged husband involved in a domestic dispute.
As the community reels from the shock, authorities are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The bodies have been transported to the GBI crime laboratory for autopsies to further understand the details of the tragedy.
Local sources have described the incident as devastating and have expressed profound sadness over the loss of life and the impact on the small community. This tragic event highlights ongoing concerns around domestic violence and the ripple effects such incidents can have on families and communities.
Local officials and community leaders are expected to provide additional support and resources to those affected by the tragedy, as the investigation unfolds and further details emerge.
Stay updated with further developments in this case as the community seeks healing and answers in the wake of this horrific event.