Gerald Jackson, 38, was fatally shot on December 5, 2024, in the 3400 block of Nutcreek Court, a cul-de-sac in the Walnut Creek neighborhood on Columbus’s northeast side. Officers found Jackson with a gunshot wound about 4:50 p.m.; he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 5:28 p.m. An adult female at the scene identified herself as the shooter and said she acted in self-defense after being threatened by Jackson. She is cooperating with detectives and has not been charged.

Investigators say domestic violence may have been a motive. Jackson had prior convictions, including rape and unlawful sexual conduct with a 12-year-old girl in 2004–2005, two domestic violence convictions in 2003, and multiple violations related to sex offender registration. He was involved in an active custody dispute with a woman with whom he had at least two children; that woman’s attorney filed a motion in October to hold him in contempt for unpaid child support, with a hearing set for February 2025. A child was reportedly present during the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing; anyone with information is asked to contact Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477).

Did anyone in Walnut Creek see or hear anything that afternoon that could help investigators?