A Pampa man accused of shooting another man at Recreation Park on Tuesday is now facing a murder charge after the victim died from his injuries early Wednesday.
John “JJ” Mathis, 48, of Pampa died at an Amarillo-area hospital, where he had been taken in serious condition following the shooting. An autopsy has been ordered.
Pampa police responded to Recreation Park around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a shooting. First responders found Mathis suffering from a gunshot wound and transported him to the hospital.
The investigation quickly expanded beyond Pampa as authorities worked to identify and locate a suspect.
Witness statements, surveillance video, a Crime Stoppers tip and automated license plate readers helped investigators identify 28-year-old Christian Leith of Pampa as the suspect, according to police.
By Tuesday afternoon, investigators received an alert showing Leith’s vehicle had been detected in the Wichita Falls area and was headed toward Decatur.
Pampa authorities contacted the Decatur Police Department, and officers there later stopped Leith’s vehicle. He was arrested and booked into the Wise County Jail.
The case changed early Wednesday when Mathis died from his injuries. Investigators subsequently obtained another arrest warrant for Leith, this time charging him with murder.
Leith remained in the Wise County Jail Wednesday.
The Pampa Police Department Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Rangers, Gray County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division have been involved in the investigation.
