3 arrested, including 16-year-old, for deadly shooting at community park in Mooresville

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) - Police have arrested three people in connection to a deadly shooting at a community park in Mooresville.

The Mooresville Police Department identified three suspects in the murder of 23-year-old Jacob Dean Koury on Aug. 11 in Magla Park.

Jessica Cheyenne Nichols, 18, and James Samuel Jones, Jr., 34, were charged in August with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. They were placed in the Iredell County Detention Center with no bond.

“Detectives worked tirelessly during the investigation and were assisted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshal Service,” said Assistant Chief Robert Dyson. “The assistance of these organizations, along with information received from the community, aided in quickly solving this crime.”

A 16-year-old juvenile whose name cannot be released at this time due to their age, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshal’s Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force and Mooresville Police Department detectives at a residence in Salisbury Sept. 9.

The juvenile was charged with first degree murder and was placed in a juvenile detention center. More charges pertaining to this case may be filed against the juvenile suspect at the appropriate time during the judicial process.

Jacob Dean Koury was discovered in a neighborhood park in Mooresville with an apparent gunshot wound on Aug. 11. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“This makes me uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable,” said neighbor Darleen Nelson.

Police were called to Magla Park at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday night. The body of a man was found in an area behind a baseball field. The park is located between Selma Drive, Spencer Street, and Everette Park Drive.

“I went to bed about 10:30. I got up, I heard sirens and I heard them shut off, then I seen lights flickering and I thought what’s going on,” Nelson added. “I got out and looked through the door, through the window and I seen all the police cars and everything in the park, policemen all over in the park.”

A witness said that a silver Toyota pickup truck was towed from the scene during the early morning hours. Police have not said how, or if that truck is part of the investigation.

The park was surrounded with crime scene tape and was closed to the public but reopened the next afternoon.

“We appreciate the community’s support and are diligently investigating all leads based on information provided,” said Assistant Chief Frank Falzone. “We have made progress with the investigation but seek more information.”

Investigators wish to speak with anyone who was in Magla Park or the Spencer Street area between 9:00 - 11:15 p.m. on August 11. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 704-658-9056 or call the MPD non-emergency line at 704-664-3311.

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