Authorities have identified the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred Friday night in the Stone Creek subdivision. The victim has been named as 40-year-old William Javon Tatum of Columbus.
According to the Columbus Police Department, officers responded to reports of gunfire around 9 p.m. on October 10, 2025, in the 5000 block of Stone Park Drive, located off Warm Springs Road. Upon arrival, officers found Tatum suffering from a gunshot wound near an SUV with a shattered window.
Emergency personnel transported Tatum to Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown Campus, where he was pronounced dead at 9:38 p.m., confirmed Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan. Investigators were seen collecting evidence at the scene, including at least one shell casing found near the vehicle.
This incident marks the third shooting in Columbus this week and the second homicide since Monday. According to police records, 24 murders have been reported in the city between January 1 and October 7, 2025, four fewer than during the same period last year.
