In the heart of Huntington, West Virginia, a quiet Tuesday morning was shattered by gunfire, leaving a community reeling and a man dead. On August 19, 2025, at approximately 9:45 a.m., 60-year-old Michael Christian was fatally shot outside his residence at 537 6th Avenue. The Huntington Police Department, swiftly responding to the scene, launched an intensive investigation that culminated in the arrest of 62-year-old Carson Scott Jeffers, a homeless resident of the city, on Wednesday, August 20. Charged with first-degree murder, Jeffers now faces a reckoning for a crime that has left a mark on this tight-knit community.
The shooting, described by authorities as an isolated incident, stemmed from an ongoing verbal dispute between Jeffers and Christian, who were reportedly acquaintances. According to the criminal complaint filed in Cabell County Magistrate Court, the act was premeditated, with Jeffers allegedly targeting Christian with lethal intent. In a chilling development, Jeffers turned himself in at the Huntington Police Department on Wednesday, confessing to the deliberate killing. The motive, rooted in a personal conflict, underscores the devastating consequences of unresolved tensions escalating to violence.
Jeffers is no stranger to the law. His lengthy criminal record includes a haunting echo of this latest crime: a 2007 second-degree murder conviction for the fatal shooting of Michael Shane Sharp on West 17th Street. In that case, Jeffers entered a Kennedy plea, resulting in a 30-year sentence, the maximum allowed under the agreement. After his release from parole, Jeffers drifted through Huntington, living in various locations and struggling with homelessness. His transient existence and troubled past paint a complex portrait of a man now accused of taking another life.
The Huntington Police Department, led by Chief Phil Watkins, worked tirelessly to bring closure to this case. Detectives and forensic investigators poured over evidence, piecing together the events that led to Christian’s death. Their efforts, bolstered by community tips and cooperation from multiple agencies, led to Jeffers’ swift apprehension. “This is part of our downtown area where we have increased our patrol presence with our new downtown patrol unit,” Watkins noted, emphasizing that despite heightened policing, this tragedy was a targeted act between two individuals. The department expressed deep gratitude to the community for their support, highlighting the critical role public cooperation plays in resolving violent crimes.
The shooting marks Huntington’s fourth homicide of 2025, a grim statistic that weighs heavily on a city striving for safety and unity. As news of the incident spread, residents like Barbara LeMaster, who lives near the scene, expressed shock and sorrow. “I heard ambulances, but I hear them all the time, so I didn’t pay attention,” she told WOWK 13 News. “If I had to do it all over again, knowing that this is what it turned out to be, I wouldn’t have moved here for these reasons.” Nearby St. Joseph’s school was briefly placed on lockdown, a stark reminder of the ripple effects of such violence.
Jeffers was arraigned before a Cabell County Magistrate on Wednesday afternoon, with no bond set, reflecting the gravity of the charges. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 27, where the court will begin unraveling the details of this tragic event. As Huntington grapples with the loss of Michael Christian, a man described simply as a resident of the community he called home, the city holds its breath, hoping for justice and healing in the wake of this senseless act.
