25-year-old killed in W Virginia shooting

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Summary: Billy Wooten III, 25, was fatally shot in Fairmont, West Virginia, on Aug. 16, 2026. Brandon Vaughn, 34, faces a murder charge.

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A Sunday morning shooting in Fairmont, West Virginia, left 25-year-old Billy Wooten III dead and quickly led investigators to a man now facing a murder charge.

Wooten, a Fairmont resident, was found after officers responded to a reported shooting at about 8 a.m. Aug. 16, 2026. Police determined that he had been shot and killed in the backyard of a home.

Investigators soon received information that a silver vehicle connected to the incident had left the area. Witnesses reported seeing a man flee before the vehicle departed.

The investigation took another turn when authorities in neighboring Harrison County were notified that a silver vehicle had crashed on Interstate 79. A 23-year-old woman who was driving and Brandon Vaughn, 34, who was riding as a passenger, were taken into custody following the crash.

Both initially faced drug-related charges, according to police. Investigators continued working to determine whether Vaughn was connected to the Fairmont shooting. That inquiry ultimately led to a murder charge against him.

Vaughn, who is from Michigan, was being held at the North Central Regional Jail without bond, according to authorities. Police have not publicly disclosed a motive for the shooting.

The case remains active, and the circumstances surrounding the confrontation that preceded Wooten's death have not been fully released.

Wooten's obituary identifies him as Billy Eugene Wooten III and says he was born Nov. 10, 2000, in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Fairmont Senior High School. His family described him as someone with a personality that drew people to him and noted his interests in music, fishing, hunting, bike riding and demolition derbies.

For now, the criminal case centers on Vaughn's alleged role in Wooten's death. A murder charge is an allegation, and Vaughn is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

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Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Sources/related links:

WV MetroNews report on the Fairmont shooting
WDTV report on Vaughn's arrest
Billy Wooten III obituary

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