Man arrested after father shot to death while walking dog

Thomas Gordon, 24, was killed 3 days before Christmas

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Months after a father was found shot to death while walking a dog, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on Thursday announced an arrest.

According to Lt. Craig Waldrup, Corey Carnes, 20, was arrested at a home on Kona Avenue and charged with murder. Carnes was accused in a deadly shooting that occurred just around 9 p.m. on Dec. 22.

ORIGINAL STORY: Family searching for answers after man gunned down in Jacksonville

Waldrup did not identify the person who died in the shooting, however, News4Jax records show Thomas Gordon, 24, was found shot to death while walking his dog at the Huron-Sophia Apartments on that date and time.

Paris Gordon said in the months following her brother's death, her family has been on edge.

“We can’t sleep at night," she said. "We’ve been affected so much by this.”

According to Paris Gordon, her brother was walking a puppy that he was going to give his 7-year-old son as a Christmas present. Relatives said the boy has been struggling since his father's death.

“He’s always sad. He used to be happy, and I catch him crying all the time. He knows his father is gone and not coming back," Paris Gordon said. "How is he supposed to adjust to that life without his father, somebody he woke up to every day?”

The Sheriff's Office acknowledged Thomas Gordon and Carnes knew each other but gave no motive for the shooting. Investigators said witness tips led to Carnes' arrest.

Carnes was in the Duval County jail Thursday night on a $1.1 million bond.


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