Man connected to fatal Christmas morning shooting found not guilty

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. — A jury has found a man facing multiple charges, including murder, to be not guilty.

George Michael Bush III, 31, was accused of a fatal Christmas morning shooting in 2022. A family member was shot and killed inside a home along Decota Road in Kanawha County after allegedly trying to break up a fight.

According to Kanawha County prosecutors, the jury determined that Bush was acting in self-defense and that the shooting was justified due to evidence that the victim was beating the father, who was blind.

Bush was also facing charges of use or presentation of a firearm during the commission of a felony and wanton endangerment, according to records in Kanawha County Circuit Court.