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Man charged with murder allegedly confesses

Darrion Jackson

Darrion Jackson, 32, Minot, was charged with Class AA felony murder in district court in Minot on Tuesday after a shooting at a hotel in Minot.

The probable cause affidavit filed with the court stated officers responded to a northwest Minot hotel shortly before midnight on Monday after receiving reports of a shooting. Upon arriving officers discovered an unresponsive male victim with a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was transported by ambulance to Trinity Hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

Police identified the victim as Timothy Chrishaod Smith, 38.

Officers were told by a resident of the hotel they had seen the suspect leave a room with a gun. Officers allege that there was an altercation between the victim and the suspect before he was shot. While officers were investigating, Jackson called Minot Central Dispatch and allegedly stated he shot Smith.

Officers soon made contact with Jackson at a nearby motel and read him his Miranda rights, after which he repeated his statement that he had shot Smith at the other hotel.

Investigators then interviewed Jackson, once again advising him of his Miranda rights, but according to the affidavit Jackson agreed to talk. Jackson told investigators that he is homeless and that an unknown male and female had agreed to let him stay in a room of the hotel with them. In his statement, Jackson said he knew the victim and that the incident began when Smith arrived at the door of the hotel room, leading to Jackson and Smith exchanging words.

Jackson told investigators that Smith was not armed and he could not remember exactly what happened in the moments before firing. Jackson said he remembered firing the gun one time before walking outside the hotel, leaving to go to another nearby hotel. Jackson said he took off his hoodie after leaving the scene and left it in an unknown location. Police said Jackson does not remember what he did with the weapon after he fired it.

Jackson made his initial appearance in district court in Minot on Tuesday for a bond hearing before district Judge Stacy Louser. Ward County State’s Attorney Roza Larson asked Louser for bond conditions similar to that seen in other recent murder cases and said the victim’s family is still considering a no-contact order against Jackson.

Louser set Jackson’s bail at $2 million cash or surety due to Jackson’s prior criminal history, which the court determined was not isolated to North Dakota. Jackson informed the court he would be applying for a public defender. Jackson’s preliminary hearing is set for March 16 and a pre-trial conference for May 17.

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