Pulaski County father blames sons shooting death on drugs

PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. – A father is mourning his son after a deadly shooting Friday morning north of Jacksonville.

According to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, the homicide happened along Jacksonville-Conway Road just before 5 A.M.

The sheriff's office has not given a name for the victim or the suspect that they have in custody as of Friday afternoon.

At the scene, however, Donald Wynne identified himself as the victim's father after interviewing with investigators. He said his son Justin Spradley was shot and killed.

"I don't know what to say. I don't. I knew that this was going to happen. I thought it was going to be by drugs, but I didn't, I don't know," Wynne said.

The love of the father was cut short, but if you ask Donald Wynne about his son Justin Spradley, he'd say he lost parts of him a long time ago to a different killer.

"This neighborhood is infested with drugs. I'm sick of it. This is what it leads to; death," Wynne stated.

Spradley was 42 years old and by his father's admission, he was in and out of the justice system due to addiction.

Wynne said the programs his son needed to recover were not there, and though he tried, Wynne could not get through to his son.

"Nobody wants to change, it seems like. When you have a history of it and doing it for so long, it's hard to get out of it. It's like a stranglehold," Wynne explained.

Pulaski County authorities said the shooting happened at the home of the suspect, who has yet to be named.

Deputies said that the suspect is in the custody of deputies, but has not been charged with anything for Spradley's death as of Friday afternoon.

Wynne said that his son was a good and loving person.

"He was a good, loveable kid, he really was. He loved people, but he had an anger problem as well. Drugs make you that way."

Though Wynne can’t make new memories with his son, he’s thankful for those memories he is able to cling to.

"I'm going to hold onto the memories of when he was growing up as a kid. That was the best time. Drugs when they take you over, the family suffers the most. The family does," Wynne stated.

Authorities have not confirmed if drugs were involved in the homicide.

New information on the investigation may not arrive until after the holiday weekend authorities have said.

from KARK https://ift.tt/COg9ma8