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Man arrested in Illinois in connection with deadly New Year’s Eve shooting in Jackson County

Incident occurred in Malone, Fla.
Jackson County Sheriff's Office
Charles Edwards Peterson Jr.
Posted at 1:44 PM, Jan 13, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-13 13:52:36-05

JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday an arrest of a man connected to a New Year’s Eve shooting.

Charles Edwards Peterson Jr. was arrested Tuesday in the state of Illinois and is facing a murder charge in Florida.

According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s office, during its investigation, which was assisted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, it learned Peterson had fled to Illinois.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division was able to confirm that Peterson was in Illinois and worked with local authorities to obtain additional information.

Peterson was charged with murder on Friday, Jan. 7 and a warrant for arrest was issued.

On Tuesday, Peterson was arrested in Coles County, Illinois by the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.

On Dec. 31, 2021, at 1 a.m., the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office was informed via a 911 call of a shooting on 10th avenue in Malone.

Sheriff’s deputies and Jackson County Fire and Rescue personnel went to the scene.

Upon arrival they found a male victim laying in a front yard with no signs of life.

Fire and rescue personnel pronounced the shooting victim deceased.

During a video post on the Jackson County Sheriff's Office Facebook page Thursday, the victim was identified as Quinton Beckwith.

Jackson County Sheriff Donald Edenfield thanked the citizens of Jackson County that provided information and assisted in the investigation, along with the sheriff’s patrol division and criminal investigation division.