Savannah police say gang activity behind shooting that lead to deadly car chase

A 17-year-old who police say is involved in gang activity was reportedly

a party to one of two shootings in downtown Savannah early Wednesday morning that led to a deadly car chase in which three people died.

Jerry Chambers Jr. allegedly was involved in the shooting on Jefferson Street and West St. Julian Street and was also named as the driver of the white SUV that crashed on Bay and Barnard streets, according to Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Chief Joseph Lumpkin.

Chambers was charged with three counts of felony murder, two counts of party to aggravated assault and one count of eluding police.

He was arrested several months ago for allegedly shooting an elderly woman at the Savannah Mall, according to a WTOC news report. Chambers was referred to the juvenile court for that incident and later was released from jail.

Among the dead was a pedestrian, Scott Waldrup, 30, a general manager of The Grey restaurant downtown.

“He was part of the very soul of who we are and what we do,” The Grey wrote of Waldrup in a Wednesday Facebook post. “His contributions were exponential because of the purity and generosity of his spirit.”

Robert Milie, president of the IAFF Local 574 Savannah Fire Union, posted that witnesses said Waldrup died while pushing others out of the way of the oncoming vehicle.

“Scott died doing what me and our proud members attempt to do every day, which is protect the citizens and visitors of this city,” Milie wrote in a Facebook post. “... Thank you Scott and rest well, and may those you left behind know that people are alive today not because of your obligation, but your duty.”

Two people in the car with Chambers also died; they were named as Gabriel Magulias, 20, and Spencer Stuckey, 17, in a police news release. Five others suffered non-life-threatening injuries when the vehicle Chambers allegedly was driving crashed on Bay and Barnard streets.

At a Wednesday news conference, police officials said they heard gunshots near the intersection of Jefferson and West St. Julian streets just after midnight and then heard a second shooting around 12:30 a.m. near the intersection of Jefferson and Broughton streets.

A 23-year-old male and a 22-year-old female sustained non-life-threatening injuries and a 16-year-old male sustained critical injuries but is in stable condition as a result of the Jefferson and W. St. Julian streets shooting.

A 17-year-old male sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting at Jefferson and Broughton streets but has not been cooperative with police, according to the release.

During the news conference, Lumpkin said that Chambers, along with the two who died in the vehicle, were known to police.

“The individuals belong to a gang called ‘Only The Mob,’ ” Lumpkin said. “It is juvenile-based, and under Georgia sanctions, that makes it tough to bring permanent sanctions to them.”

Any connection between the shootings remains under investigation, Lumpkin said.

Anyone with information can contact the SCMPD tipline at 912-525-3124 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 912-234-2020.

This story was originally published July 5, 2017 at 8:04 AM with the headline "Savannah police say gang activity behind shooting that lead to deadly car chase."