Alexander Jackson Cedar Rapids Iowa man shoots parents, younger sister dead at family home. No known motive as 20 year old faces life behind bars.
An 20 year old man is reported to have killed both his parents and teen sister at the family’s Cedar Rapids, Iowa home on Tuesday.
Alexander Ken Jackson, 20, upon his arrest yesterday was charged with three counts of first degree murder in the triple homicide at the home in Cedar Rapids, KCRG reported, citing police.
The shooting was reported to police at around 8:23 a.m. Officials said the three victims were found dead from gunshot wounds when officers arrived.
The victims were identified as Jan Perry Jackson, 61, Melissa Ferne Jackson, 68, and Sabrina Hana Jackson, 19. They are the suspect’s father, mother and sister, respectively.
Alexander – a college student – was also found with a gunshot wound to his foot when police arrived.
Execution of family
The 20 year old man was treated and released at an area hospital before being booked later that day. Online records did not indicate the 20 year old having a prior criminal record.
‘This was a horrendous murder,’ Assistant Linn County Attorney Ryan Decker said Wednesday morning in Linn County District Court during the initial appearance for the accused triple homicide suspect.
‘This was more than just a murder, it was an execution of the defendant’s mother, father and sister,’ Decker added. ‘Furthermore, the defendant’s concocted story of a phantom burglar shows the defendant acted out of malice and calculated intent to get away with these murders.’
A criminal complaint stated Jackson telling investigators he was asleep when an alleged attack on his family began. The sound gun gunfire woke him, he claimed, adding he was shot while struggling with a masked intruder over the rifle.
Alex denied shooting his family members but did admit that his father had recently told him he needed to find a job or move out of the home, according to the complaint.
Police said a .22-caliber Browning semi-automatic rifle that is believed to be the murder weapon was recovered inside the residence.
Police said investigators found no signs of forced entry or any indications the home had been burglarized.
‘They were good neighbors’
A report via the Des Moines Register indicated the home located in a quiet, suburban neighborhood about a half-mile from Cedar Rapids Xavier High School on the northern side of the city. Property records show that the family has lived there for a decade.
‘They have been good neighbors,’ a neighbor told the Gazette. ‘They are really good people — nice people.’
‘I was just talking to Melissa maybe 4 or 5 days ago,’ the neighbor added.
Police have yet to say what motivated the triple homicide.
The son faces life in prison without parole.
