CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A murder on Charleston’s West Side back on Sunday was over the theft of $3,000 worth of heroin, police said.
Detectives charged Tremaine Jackson, 23, of Charleston, Tuesday with the shooting death of Bryan Rogers, 29, of Ripley. Rogers collapsed inside the West Side Market and Deli on 7th Avenue Sunday afternoon after being shot once in the stomach at close range.
Jackson gave a full confession to police during a Tuesday morning interview, Chief of Detectives Lt. Steve Cooper said.
“He said approximately a month ago Bryan Rogers had stolen some heroin from him,” Cooper said. “He (Jackson) confronted him. There was an altercation and during that altercation (Jackson) shot (Rogers) once.”
According to the criminal complaint, Jackson used a .380 caliber handgun. The murder weapon has not been recovered by police.
Heroin dealers are bad people, Cooper said.
“They do tend to carry firearms. The drug world is a dangerous place to live in,” he said. “Most of the homicides, most of the shootings that take place are drug-related. It’s very rare that someone gets shot that’s not involved in criminal activity.”
There’s a lot of money in the heroin trade, Cooper said.
“People take it personally if they have drugs stolen. They’re not good people in the first place. They’re not making an honest living. The underworld of the drug scene is a pretty dangerous place.”
Sunday was the second time Rogers has been shot this year. He survived a gunshot wound to his arm in an October incident that remains under investigation.
Rogers’ death marked the seventh murder in Charleston in 2015. Police have made arrests in all seven cases.
Jackson is in the South Central Regional Jail without bail.