Staff Reports

The identities of the suspect and the victim of the shooting that took place on February 10, 2019, in the parking lot of the Quik Trip located at 927 Gainesville Highway in Buford was released by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect has been identified as 23-year-old James Elliot Blocksom of Canton, Georgia.  Investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team arrested Blocksom at his home at 319 Garden Circle in Canton on February 10th.

Blocksom was charged with murder following the shooting death of 36-year-old Chester Morrison of Commerce, Georgia at the South Hall QT.  Morrison was later pronounced dead at Northeast Georgia Medical Center after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

Morrison was the passenger in a car that was driven by a 23-year-old female.  The female was known to both the suspect and the victim.  She was not physically injured during the shooting incident.

Investigators determined that Blocksom had been chasing the car that contained both Morrison and the female driver northbound from the Buford area.  They had pulled into the QT parking lot where Blocksom caught up with them and opened fire on the passenger.

Immediately following the shooting a video began to circulate on Instagram/Snapchat.  The video was also sent to the North Gwinnett Voice anonymously.

The witness who filmed the video saw the suspect chase the victims northbound from the Buford area.

The female who was driving the car containing Mr. Morrison cooperated fully with the investigators.  She was able to assist very quickly with details regarding Blocksom’s identity, place of residence and vehicle description.

Following Blocksom’s arrest, investigators obtained a search warrant for his residence.  Upon execution of the search warrant, investigators located a handgun believed to be the one used in the shooting.

Blocksom remains in custody at the Hall County Jail.