Jacob Gideon Copeland

The shooting deaths Thursday of two Madison County men in Limestone County was “a planned event,” an official said Friday.

Limestone County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Stephen Young said 19-year-old Jacob Gideon Copeland had planned out the deaths of 21-year-old Damian Blake Ricketts of Hazel Green and Devin Edward Richard, 22, of Huntsville with some degree of “specificity.”

“The victims and suspect did know each other,” Young said.

The location where it happened, however, appears to be random, and Copeland did not arrive at the crime scene with the victims. Young said Copeland drove a white Ford SUV, parked it and then walked to the meet-up point.

The selected place was a driveway in the 29000 block of Analicia Drive. Young said the homeowner did not know the victims or the suspect in the case.

Young said investigators believe the homicides occurred sometime between 2 and 4 a.m. Thursday. One of the victims sustained three gunshot wounds to the head, while the other sustained six gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

Both men were dead by the time their bodies were discovered at about 7 a.m. by the homeowner. They were found in a white compact car in the homeowner’s driveway.

Young said investigators believe the shots were fired from outside the car through the passenger window. He added the passenger was shot first, then the driver.

When asked if anyone heard the shots Thursday morning, Young said a few neighbors thought they heard something. Some also told investigators they hear gunshots on a regular basis, so they thought nothing of it.

The 9 mm handguns believed to have been used in the homicides had not yet been recovered as of Friday afternoon. Investigators did find heroin, Xanax and ecstasy in the victims’ vehicle.

Young said drugs appear to be the motive for the killings but did not describe the crime as a “drug deal gone wrong.” Investigators believe after shooting the victims, Copeland walked to his white SUV and drove to his home at 514 Mill Road in Madison.

Without providing specifics, Young said investigators were able to determine Copeland was the last person to have contact with the victims. Investigators with the Sheriff’s Office, Madison Police Department and state Bureau of Investigations executed a search warrant at Copeland’s home Thursday afternoon.

When authorities arrived, Young said Copeland took off on foot and threw out some ecstasy in the process. He was apprehended a short distance from the home.

Copeland was brought to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, where he was interviewed by investigators. Based on the evidence and probable cause, Copeland was subsequently charged with two counts of capital murder of a person in a vehicle. Bond had not been set as of Friday, and Young said there could be additional charges.

Young praised the work of investigators at the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office and also thanked agencies who assisted the department with the investigation — SBI and the Huntsville and Madison police departments.

“(The investigation) has been a success as well as we can define success,” he said. “While it’s tragic there are multiple victims, it was essential that we precisely and accurately and quickly bring this to a resolution. We want to assure our citizens this was not a random event or something were anyone would have been targeted.”