LANCASTER, PA — A man from Columbia has been convicted of third-degree murder and related charges for a fatal shooting that took place in March 2022. Tyler Wilson, 29, was found guilty by a jury on Thursday following a four-day trial before Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle.
The victim, 25-year-old Jatavis Scott, was shot in the parking lot of the former Club Twenty3 after a bar fight turned deadly. The incident began as a verbal dispute inside the club, which escalated into a physical altercation that security staff moved outside. Despite being separated, Wilson and Scott continued their confrontation, which ended when Wilson fired two shots, killing Scott.
Assistant District Attorneys Mark Fetterman and Jessica Collo presented a compelling case, using testimonies from witnesses at the club on the night of the shooting, video footage collected from witnesses’ phones and the club’s surveillance cameras, and reports from Manheim Township Police investigators.
Collo argued that the video evidence clearly showed a flash of light – consistent with a muzzle flash from a firearm – coming from Wilson’s hand just as he and Scott were moving towards each other for a second time. She also pointed out that Wilson was within feet of Scott at the time of the shooting.
“Defense counsel said the video evidence of the shots fired and flash of light was insufficient, but those two shots and a flash of light were enough to end a human being’s life,” said Collo. “He was the only one not shocked by a resounding pop from a firearm because he’s the one that pulled the trigger.”
Despite Wilson and his defense counsel maintaining his innocence, the jury returned its verdict after approximately three hours of deliberation. Wilson was remanded to Lancaster County Prison without bail to await his sentencing date.
Scott was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital, and the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office later confirmed his death was due to a gunshot wound to the chest, ruling it a homicide.
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