Waycross police officers responded to reports of a shooting shortly after 8:22 p.m. on Friday night in the area near the intersection of Snelson Street and Old Brunel Street. This residential stretch in the southern part of the city features modest homes and local traffic where neighbors often gather in the evenings.
Upon arrival patrol units secured the scene and located a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the roadway or adjacent area. The rapid response allowed detectives to begin processing evidence while emergency medical personnel attempted life saving measures at the location in Ware County.
Officers pronounced the victim dead at the scene after confirming his identity through standard procedures. The shooting unfolded during evening hours in this quiet neighborhood prompting an immediate lockdown of the block to preserve the area and interview potential witnesses nearby. No other injuries were reported from the incident that drew a heavy police presence to the Snelson Street and Old Brunel Street intersection.
The victim was identified as 35-year-old Jacob Garrett Cothern a longtime Waycross resident whose sudden death has left family and friends in shock. Detectives worked quickly to establish a timeline of events leading up to the gunfire while maintaining focus on the specific location in southern Waycross. The case was classified as a homicide from the outset turning the response into a full scale investigation handled by the Waycross Police Department.
While officers were on scene they spotted 29-year-old Brandon Dale Frick a short distance away armed and attempting to flee the area. Additional units converged on Frick who was taken into custody without further incident after a brief encounter. The swift apprehension near the shooting location allowed investigators to link him directly to the event through evidence gathered at the Snelson Street and Old Brunel Street scene.
Frick was transported to the Ware County Jail where he was formally charged with murder. The arrest came after detectives reviewed initial witness statements and physical evidence from the scene confirming his involvement in the fatal shooting. Authorities have not released additional details on motive or any prior connection between the suspect and victim as the probe continues in Ware County.
The Waycross Police Department continues its active investigation into the Friday night shooting urging anyone with information or video from the Snelson Street and Old Brunel Street area to contact detectives. The incident has heightened concerns in the southern neighborhoods where residents are processing the loss of a local man while officials emphasize the case appears isolated with no ongoing threat to the public. Community members have expressed sorrow over the violence that unfolded in this typically quiet part of the city.
