Black basketball player faces murder charge

When he saw the person he believed robbed him, a former NBA player and Georgia Tech standout fired gunshots from a black SUV, striking a 23-year-old mother of four, Atlanta police said. Now, Javaris Crittenton, 23, faces a murder charge in the death of Jullian Jones, authorities have said. Jones was walking with others near her Macon Drive home in southwest Atlanta when she was shot, police said. Several witnesses told police that the shots were fired from a black Chevrolet Tahoe. Jones was struck in the leg and later died during surgery. Two men walking with Jones fled and were not injured, and investigators now believe that one of those men was the intended target. Investigators believe that Crittenton may have been seeking retaliation after being robbed of his jewelry. Crittenton reported that crime to police. Crittenton is not in custody and is believed to be in the greater Los Angeles area. Atlanta detectives are working with the FBI to take him into custody. While playing for the Washington Wizards, Crittenton was involved in a December 2009 locker room incident with then-teammate Gilbert Arenas in which the two pulled guns on each other. On Jan. 25, 2010, Crittenton pleaded guilty and was given a year of probation on a misdemeanor gun possession charge.