A Madisonville man is found guilty by a Brazos County district court jury of shooting a man in Bryan almost three and a half years ago.
A news release from the district attorney’s office says the victim was shot so close to the neck that he was very fortunate to survive.
The trial judge then sentenced 47 year old Jason Franklin to 40 years in prison. The sentencing range was 25 years to life.
The May 2022 shooting in Bryan marks the third time Franklin received prison time for injuring someone in Brazos County. Franklin pleaded guilty to throwing a piece of concrete through the windshield of a police vehicle in July 1996, injuring an officer. And Franklin pleaded guilty to stabbing a victim with a knife in January 2009.
News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office:
Jason Franklin, 47, was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a Brazos County jury on October 29, 2025. Following the conviction, Judge David Hilburn sentenced Franklin to 40 years in prison.
On May 20, 2022, 911 dispatch spoke with the victim who reported that the Franklin shot him with a gun.
The Bryan Police Department responded to Poplar Circle, where they located the victim and observed a gunshot wound to the victim’s upper shoulder, near the neck. The victim was immediately
escorted to paramedics and taken to a local hospital.
Law enforcement established a perimeter around the apartment where the shooting occurred. Franklin exited the residence when Bryan Police Department’s SWAT team arrived and initiated contact. SWAT officers were able to detain Franklin and clear the apartment.
During the investigation, detectives interviewed eyewitnesses to the shooting and executed a search warrant for the apartment. Inside, they located a 9mm handgun, a spent 9mm shell casing, and the hole where the bullet struck the wall after piercing the victim’s shoulder. Franklin was placed under arrest and a test confirmed the presence of gunshot residue on his hands.
During the punishment phase of trial, the judge heard evidence that the defendant is a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history. In 1999, Franklin was convicted of assaulting a public servant by throwing a piece of concrete through the windshield of a police vehicle. The officer’s eye was severely damaged. In 2009, Franklin was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing a victim with a knife.
The punishment range for this offense was 25 years to life in prison.
Statement from Brazos County assistant district attorneys Caleb Beacham and Kevin Capps: “The defendant shot the victim, striking him so close to the neck that he was very fortunate to survive. This sentence protects our community from a convicted felon who was willing to use a gun to nearly kill someone.”