Cherokee County

Grammy award-nominated Atlanta songwriter, father critically injured in road rage shooting

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — The family of a 25-year-old man shot multiple times during a road-rage incident spoke exclusively to Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln.

Jason Daxon was a father and a fiance. He was shot by 61-year-old Wade McEwan in Acworth at the intersection of Highway 92 and Woodstock Road.

Daxon’s family thinks there is more behind the motivation for this shooting.

Angeline Peterson, the victim’s fiancé, feels it wasn’t just road rage, but also racially motivated.

“It’s just a senseless racist act of violence,” said Peterson.

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Peterson said she can’t understand someone getting angry enough to pull out a gun and fire it though their driver-side window.

“The man just shot through his own window into Jason’s car: he tried to kill him, he tried to kill him,” said Peterson. “It’s not like he was doing anything to antagonize this man, he was just simply trying to pass him on the road, and the man would not let him in.”

Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies said McEwan pulled up next to Daxon and fired at least 14 rounds into his car.

Daxon was shot twice: once in the arm and once in the back.

Peterson said she, Daxon and their 11-month-old were just three minutes away from home.

Witnesses captured McEwan shooting Daxon and then driving away. Peterson said the video circulating on Facebook is difficult to look at.

“It’s just hard, to see my loved one and to know that my child’s father, he has no idea what’s going on,” said Peterson.

Peterson said this incident has caused their life to come to a complete standstill.

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This week, Daxon, who is a Grammy nominated songwriter, planned on starting the next steps in his career after getting signed to a major record label here in Atlanta.

“He was supposed to have his photo shoots, his interviews, everything you can think of, and it just stopped instantly,” said Peterson.

Since the shooting, her fiance has undergone several surgeries. Doctors said it will take months for Daxon to recover.

Peterson said they have created a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses and child-care needs.

McEwan was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, reckless conduct and reckless driving.

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