Business deal gone bad led to fatal shooting of Saginaw teen

An argument over an undisclosed business transaction escalated into the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Saginaw High School student on Saturday, according to authorities.

Two witnesses told police they saw the suspect, Joel Conner McCommon, 23, fighting with Jordan Miles, just before the shooting, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

McCommon, a senior math major at the University of Texas at Arlington, was wounded Monday in a shootout with police officers who were trying to arrest him.

Eddie Johnston, an Arlington officer struck by gunfire during the shooting, was released from a hospital Tuesday afternoon. Johnston has been with the Arlington Police Department for three years.

Police declined to comment about the nature of the business transaction that caused the argument.

Witnesses said that McCommon pulled a handgun and fired a single shot that struck Miles in the stomach, according to the affidavit. When police arrived in response to the shooting call about 2 p.m., they saw Miles lying on the ground in the 200 block of Creekside Drive.

Miles was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital shortly after, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office. He would have been 18 on Tuesday.

Two witnesses told police that Miles and McCommon began fighting ins McCommon’s red 2006 Nissan Altima, a fight that spilled out into the street, the affidavit said. A third witness said she saw McCommon on top of Miles while they fought, the affidavit said.

One witness said he was running away and turned around to see Miles on one knee as McCommon was striking him in the back or head with his fist or an unknown object, the affidavit said. McCommon left in his Altima as witnesses called 911 to help Miles, the affidavit said.

Three witnesses identified McCommon from a photo array as the person who shot Miles, according to the affidavit.

Saginaw police, who were looking for McCommon, found his vehicle Monday night in the 400 block of Summit Avenue near UTA, police reported.

Officers from Saginaw and Arlington tried to contact McCommon, who was in an apartment. Shortly before 11 p.m., McCommon opened the door and fired, injuring the officer. Police returned fire, hitting McCommon, according to a news release.

This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Business deal gone bad led to fatal shooting of Saginaw teen."