Lexington murder suspect shot man while both were bystanders to a fight, prosecutors say
Lexington prosecutors say a man on trial for murder fired a fatal gunshot during a fistfight that neither he nor his victim were involved in nearly four years ago.
Jonathan Lockhart, 41, is on trial for murder this week for allegedly killing 51-year-old Raymond Brooks at an apartment complex in the 1700 block of Jennifer Road in September 2022.
The jury trial began Monday. Prosecutors said during opening statements Lockhart was the bystander to a nearby fight between other people when he suddenly pulled out a gun and fatally shot Brooks, also a bystander.
“Neither (of the people fighting) had a gun, but (Lockhart) did, and he pulled out a gun and shot Brooks,” said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Cassandra Hacker.
Lockhart’s defense attorney, Rawl Kazee, asked jurors to pay close attention to the police’s investigation — specifically what was or was not done.
“The prosecution has a very simple outline from how we get from that day in September, and to today, them asking you to find (Lockhart) guilty of murder,” Kazee said. “I would ask you pay attention to when and how and why these statements that point to guilt happened.”
What happened the day of the shooting
Officers with the Lexington Police Department were called to an apartment complex on Jennifer Road Sept. 22, 2022, prosecutors say.
When they arrived, they found Brooks with a gunshot wound inside the apartment’s hallway, prosecutors say.
Witnesses Odyssey Howard and Rodriguez “Rod” Schooler said they were fighting before the shooting. Brooks and Lockhart were present but not involved in the fight, according to the prosecutors.
Suddenly, Lockhart shot Brooks. The bullet entered his left and went through his chest and back, prosecutors say. Brooks died later at the hospital.
Lockhart fled the scene, prosecutors said.
The gun used to shoot Brooks was never recovered.
Five days after the shooting Lockhart was arrested for unrelated drug charges and housed in the Fayette County Detention Center. He was charged with Brooks’ murder in November.
The trial is expected to continue through Thursday.
