GBI Arrests Four People in Jesup Shooting Investigation

Jesup, Wayne County, GA (July 27, 2026) – The GBI has arrested and charged Carlos Mackey, Jr., age 18, Zechariah Merritt, age 19, Marquayvion Rankin, age 19, and Cornelius Shaw, Jr., age 17, all of Jesup, GA, in connection with a shooting that occurred in Jesup on May 24, 2026. Rankin and Mackey, Jr. were charged with one count of Aggravated Assault and one count of False Statements. Shaw and Merritt were charged with one count of False Statements.

Preliminary information indicates that on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at about 8:15 p.m., the Wayne County 911 Center received a call regarding a shooting near North Hickory Street and MLK Park. A group of minors and adults gathered near MLK Park for a fight, and during the fight, Rankin and Mackey, Jr. began shooting. When Jesup Police Department officers responded, they found two men with gunshot wounds. Both victims were taken to an area hospital for treatment. Later that evening, another man arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound. All three were treated and later released.

On Friday, July 24, 2026, with the assistance of the Jesup Police Department and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Rankin, Mackey, Jr., and Shaw, Jr. were arrested and booked into the Wayne County Jail.

Merritt was already in custody at the Wayne County Jail on unrelated charges.

The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Kingsland at (912) 729-6198, or the Jesup Police Department at (912) 427-1300. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review and prosecution.