New details emerged in court Wednesday about how an argument over a cigarette smell ended with a man shot in the chest inside a Snellville Chick-fil-A.
Jamaal Jenkins, 44, sat before a Gwinnett County judge for a preliminary hearing on charges of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and reckless conduct.
Jenkins is accused of shooting another customer inside the Chick-fil-A on Scenic Highway on April 7.
Investigators say the two men did not know each other before that morning.
Snellville Police Detective Victor Martinez testified that Jenkins struck up the conversation in line, then escalated it with insults.
“He initiated the conversation with him by telling him that he smelled like cigarette smoke,” Martinez said. “The defendant called the victim a weirdo. He also called him a c*****r.”
Martinez told the court the victim then punched Jenkins in the face one time.
Jenkins pulled a Glock 42 from his pocket and fired three shots, hitting the victim once in the chest, the detective testified.
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The gun, the detective said, is what kept this from being a homicide.
“The defendant chased the victim and attempted to continue shooting until his handgun malfunctioned,” Martinez said.
Officers found Jenkins still at the scene when they arrived.
Defense attorney Teombre Calland argued Jenkins acted in self-defense after being struck first.
She told the judge her client is not a flight risk, has no felony convictions, and would agree to a stay-away order from the victim and the restaurant.
Prosecutors countered that Jenkins is a danger to the community given how many other customers were inside the restaurant when the shots were fired.
The judge bound all three charges over to Superior Court and denied bond.
Jenkins remains in the Gwinnett County Jail.
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