21-year-old charged in Monday night murder in Waynesville

Aarik Long, The Mountaineer, Waynesville, N.C.
·2 min read

May 14—A Waynesville man has been arrested and charged with murdering the father of a girl he was dating in a shooting on Allens Creek Road Monday night.

Dillard Thomas Hooper, 21, was charged with common law murder in the death of Jason Abram Caldwell, 45. Hooper was supposedly dating Caldwell's daughter.

Around 8:30 p.m. Monday night, Waynesville Police got a 911 call reporting a shooting. When officers responded to the home on Allens Creek Road, they found Caldwell with three gunshot wounds.

"Lifesaving efforts were made there at the scene, but Caldwell did not survive," a statement from the Waynesville Police Department stated.

There were five people in the home at the time, including the victim. Caldwell's daughter is the one who called 911, according to police reports.

There was some sort of verbal altercation before the shooting, according to both police reports and witness accounts from neighbors. The case is still under investigation as detectives sort out exactly what happened.

Waynesville Assistant Police Chief Brandon Gilmore said there are some discrepancies between the initial statements made on the 911 call and statements made to officers on the scene regarding the altercation.

"There were some words exchanged," Gilmore said. "There was no physical altercation."

It is unclear if Hooper has any prior criminal history, but Gilmore said he was not a "career criminal."

"We have had some dealings with him," Gilmore said. "Nothing of significance."

Some of those dealings include previous visits to the Allens Creek home when Hooper was present.

"We've been there for a variety of issues," Gilmore said. "Police have been to that house before for various calls for service."

The home is just a couple of houses up from Allens Creek Baptist Church.

Officers are still awaiting the results of an autopsy that will be performed this week, as well as additional searches, including examinations of cell phones.

"Search warrants take time," Gilmore said.

The common law murder charge could change to either first or second degree depending on how the investigation goes, Gilmore said.

In October 2005, a man was stabbed to death at the house directly next door to the house that Monday night's homicide took place.