An 18-year-old charged with attempted murder in the shooting of his teenage girlfriend on Tuesday had an argument with the girl, which reportedly turned physical, left the home, returned minutes later and allegedly shot her in the head as her friend watched on a FaceTime call.
Jayzon Gunter of Hartford appeared Wednesday in Hartford Superior Court to answer to domestic violence charges of criminal attempt to commit murder, criminal attempt to commit third-degree strangulation, unlawful discharge of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit.
A judge continued the case until Oct. 30 and left Gunter’s bail at $2 million, which he did not immediately post. Gunter did not enter a plea during the hearing, records show.
According to the warrant affidavit in the case, witnesses to the shooting told authorities that a man known to them as “Ricch” and the victim had been “talking” since the beginning of summer. After finding an Instagram account under the name “Ricch Rackzz,” authorities said they were able to identify the man as Gunter.
In the days leading up to the shooting, the victim had been staying with friends on Lenox Street where Gunter visited her on Monday, the warrant affidavit said.
While there late into the evening, those in the residence, which included a juvenile and an adult who reported being friends with the victim, said the man later identified as Gunter and the teen allegedly argued. During the dispute, witnesses told police that the teen contacted Gunter’s ex-girlfriend, described as his “babies mama,” and that he allegedly became upset by this, the warrant affidavit said.
The argument ceased when Gunter left the residence, the warrant affidavit said.
A juvenile in the home said she could see the victim’s neck was red and swollen afterward, and that it appeared as though she had been choked. The juvenile also told police her adult sister later told her that Gunter allegedly wrapped a phone charger around the teen’s neck during the argument, according to the warrant affidavit.
The juvenile in the residence said she left her bedroom to heat up some food in the microwave and heard a “loud bang” after she returned to her room. She said she initially thought it was the microwave before realizing about five minutes later that it was unrelated.
The girl said she then heard mumbling coming from a bedroom where she opened the door and found the victim spitting up blood, the warrant affidavit said. The girl told her sister what she had found before calling 911. The victim was reportedly trying to talk and pointing at something, but what she was saying could not be deciphered.
The sister later told authorities she also heard a loud sound but did not go check to see what it was, the warrant affidavit said. She said the sound occurred when it appeared as though Gunter returned to the home about 10 minutes after initially leaving during the argument, according to the warrant affidavit.
Firefighters and medics responded to the residence shortly after 12:30 a.m. on the report of a 16-year-old girl vomiting up blood and moaning in pain. Emergency crews found the girl and believed she had been the victim of a possible assault, prompting calls for police to respond as well.
When police arrived, they saw the victim receiving medical attention and said she appeared to have been shot, as she was bleeding from her head, the warrant affidavit said. The teen was rushed to the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center where she received emergency surgery and was listed in critical but stable condition.
At the hospital, a nurse told investigators that the victim had told him the man who shot her went by “Rich Rack,” the warrant affidavit said. When asked if she knew his real name, the nurse said the victim told him Jayzon, according to the warrant affidavit.
As of Tuesday, the girl was in a medically induced coma, police wrote in the warrant affidavit.
When investigators were able to speak to a friend of victim who was on a call with her at the time of the shooting, she said the two were speaking on FaceTime when she heard an unknown male enter the room, at which point the victim said he had a gun, the warrant affidavit said.
The girl told police she then saw the male pointing a gun toward the victim’s head before she heard a bang, police wrote. The victim then dropped her phone.
The girl was reportedly able to send multiple parts of the video to one of the witnesses who was inside the residence, the warrant affidavit said.
Around 12:30 p.m., the Hartford Police Fugitive Task Force and the Emergency Response Team found Gunter at an apartment on King Street, where investigators said he was arrested on an unrelated warrant, police wrote.
During an interview with police, authorities said Gunter placed himself at the scene and told investigators that he heard a “shot” come from the bedroom where the victim was, the warrant affidavit said.
He allegedly admitted to being involved in a physical altercation with the girl before the shooting but said he only threw a phone cord at her, according to the warrant affidavit.
Hartford police obtained the warrant charging Gunter in the shooting the same day.
