A neighborhood dispute over a loose dog in Dodge County, Georgia, ended in deadly violence on September 16, 2022. Forty-eight-year-old John David Ussery went to his son’s home after the son’s dog got loose and reportedly attacked a neighbor’s cat. When Ussery stepped out of his vehicle, 71-year-old Ronnie Robert Reaves shot him once in the chest. Ussery, a self-employed truck driver, died from the gunshot wound; he was a father of two and grandfather of three.

Reaves was arrested and charged with murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Days later, on the evening of September 19, 2022, Reaves was found unresponsive in his jail cell; a preliminary inquiry determined he had taken his own life and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the inquiry, with officials saying they did not suspect foul play.

Did anyone in Dodge County see the confrontation or have information about what led to the shooting?