Coroner identifies 34-year-old gunshot victim found in Louisville's Russell neighborhood

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A 34-year-old man was identified Wednesday as the victim of a fatal shooting Sunday morning in the Russell neighborhood.

Mitchell Jackson Jr. died of multiple gunshot wounds at South 18th Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard on Oct. 20, according to a written statement from the Jefferson County Coroner's Office.

In an earlier news release, LMPD spokesperson Dwight Mitchell said officers responded to a person down in the road just before 9 a.m. Sunday and found the victim.

Police confirmed that duct tape was found on the body. LMPD said in an update Wednesday that they're aware of "all the rumors and speculation floating around online." But those rumors are false, police said, and they believe this was an isolated incident and there haven't been any homicides "similar in nature."

Still, the way his body was found is causing a lot of concern and speculation.

A man who lives nearby, who preferred to just go by Derek, said he saw a bag sitting in a street and assumed it was garbage.

"I normally pull it to the side. They always dump garbage in the middle of the street," he said Wednesday. "But when I walked up on it, I realized it was long. I was like, 'Oh, my God. This is a dead body.' So I went across the street. Right when I was ready to call, somebody had already called and told me, 'That's OK, Mr. Derek, we'd already made a call.' Police pulled up, put his mask on (and) secured the body until everybody else came."

Derek said the body was wrapped in a plastic bag with duct tape, and that has caused a lot of speculation in public and on social media.

LMPD confirmed that the body was wrapped entirely.

"It was wrapped up in garbage bags. I think it had gray and brown tape on it ..." he said. "And it was neatly secured and wrapped, but really, really, really tight, like you would see on the movie."

Louisville Metro Councilman Jecorey Arthur, I-4, who represents the Russell neighborhood, said all of Metro government has a responsibility to address rumors and reassure citizens.

"I didn't know of a shooting that happened in this area, so that does make us think that maybe something was dropped off," Arthur said Wednesday. "Even when there are shootings, people are passing through our neighborhood. That doesn't necessarily mean they live in our community. So I'm concerned about people who are disrespecting Russell. I live here. I work here. I got a kid who goes to school here. I'm very concerned about the fact that people think they can just disrespect our neighborhood and cause violence and chaos here. We're not with that."

LMPD's Homicide Unit is investigating the case.

Anyone with information is asked to call the department's anonymous Crime Tip Line at 502-574-LMPD (5673). Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the online Crime Tip Portal by clicking here.

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