Nightclub victim shot 5 times
Posted/updated on: January 12, 2026 at 3:42 pm
TYLER — Arrest documents detail the moment a 23-year-old man was shot five times outside a Tyler nightclub on Dec. 28 in what the Smith County Sheriff’s Office claims involved the West Side Rolling 60’s Crips gang. According to our news partner KETK, Aaron Gordon Johnson Jr. arrived at The Valley Blues Club on Dec. 28, 2025, with his two half-brothers. Smith County records indicate he had a 9mm Glock 19, but had left the firearm in his vehicle.
Johnson told investigators that while inside the club Westside gang members attempted to start problems with him and his half-brothers. At that point, he decided to return to his car so he could drive to the club entrance and pick them up but said he was being followed by gang members.
When the car failed to start, he retrieved the gun from the vehicle, placed it in his waistband and began walking back toward the club.
Johnson told authorities that as he approached the entrance, several gang members passed by him and one allegedly punched him in the face. He said gunfire then erupted from behind a nearby vehicle.
“Johnson advised he was initially shot in the foot, which is when he pulled out his gun and shot at the person who he believed shot him, then blindly shot towards where he heard the gunshots coming from,” the affidavit reads.
Johnson said he began running while still shooting and was then shot in the back. He was eventually taken to a hospital by an unknown individual.
The outside of the Valley Blues Club.
While being driven to the hospital, Johnson told investigators he threw the gun out of the vehicle because he panicked and did not want to be stopped with it. A Smith County deputy later recovered the firearm along County Road 485.
Johnson was treated for his injuries and taken into custody on Jan. 2. He was booked on charges of deadly conduct by discharging a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair an investigation.
When deputies arrived at the nightclub at around 2:45 a.m., they observed several hundred people attempting to leave the club and found a man, later revealed to be Johnson, with a gunshot wound in the parking lot.
They then also found Aaron Lamar Jackson, 23, suffering from five gunshot wounds to his head and body, according to the affidavit. Jackson was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Another man suspected to be involved in the shooting was arrested on Jan. 7 after he allegedly disposed of a gun linked to the crime scene.
An elderly man who lives close to the club told law enforcement he saw a young Black man wearing all black put a gun in his yard. While the elderly man was speaking to law enforcement, they noticed Pettigrew “acknowledged” the elderly man before taking off.
A .40 caliber Glock 23 pistol was recovered from the elderly man’s yard as evidence and tested against .40 caliber bullet casings from the crime scene.
Arrest documents said the gun Pettigrew is accused of disposing of matched the casings found at the club. Law enforcement also said they learned that Pettigrew is a member of the West Side Rolling 60’s Crips.
Pettigrew was arrested on Jan. 7 and charged with evading arrest/detention, tampering/fabricating physical evidence and engaging in organized criminal activity.
The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said they have spent hundreds of man-hours on this case. Law enforcement are determined not to allow gangs “to continue their lawlessness unabated.”
“We take very seriously the safety and security of not only our Smith County citizens, but also those who travel to Smith County daily to work or for recreation,” the sheriff’s office said on Wednesday night.
The Valley Blues Club released a statement offering their condolences:
“We want to publicly acknowledge and extend our deepest regrets for the unfortunate incident that occurred at the Valley Blues Club on Sunday,” the statement reads. “To the families, friends and community impacted by this event, we extend our apologies and condolences for what occurred.”
In their statement, the club also said it will implement new security measures to ensure the safety of all its customers moving forward.
“Our goal at The Valley Blues Club is to have a safe, fun and free environment for everyone to kick back and have a great time with no worries,” the club said. “To ensure this is accommodated in the future, we will begin to implement what we started with The Valley Membership only exclusiveness to ensure a safe and secure environment.”
