Man convicted of murder in Orange County 2021 hotel lobby shooting

ORLANDO, Fla. - On Friday, October 18, 2024, an Orange County jury found 35-year-old Jackson Charles guilty of Second-Degree Murder with a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon after shooting a man in an Orlando hotel lobby in 2021.

Credit: Orange County Jail

Charles shot and killed Randolph Chamberlin, 30, on June 2, 2021, following an altercation in the lobby of a Days Inn hotel on South Orange Blossom Trail. Surveillance footage showed Charles retrieving a firearm from his bag before arguing and physically confronting Chamberlin. Charles fired four shots at the victim, striking him once in the chest and three times in the head and neck.

Witnesses, including a hotel clerk and the hotel manager, identified Charles as a frequent guest at the establishment. After the shooting, Charles fled the scene, but authorities arrested him on June 9, 2024.

During the trial, Charles claimed he acted in self-defense. However, the prosecution presented video evidence that showed Charles as the primary aggressor, contradicting his defense. Additionally, as a convicted felon, Charles was legally required to avoid physical confrontation.

The five-day trial concluded with the jury finding Charles guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm, including a special finding of discharge causing death, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon with a special finding of actual possession.

Charles will be sentenced later this year and faces a possible life sentence.