2nd man charged with murder in 2009 shooting

Officials said Wednesday that a Macon man has been indicted by a grand jury on murder and aggravated assault charges in connection with a November 2009 shooting death outside of the former Club Money’s.

Michael Tuggle, 46, of Elm Street, was arrested by Bibb County sheriff's deputies Friday on a bench warrant for felony murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for his alleged involvement in the shooting death of Zachary Blasingame early in the morning of Nov. 15, 2009, in the parking lot of the now-closed Club Money’s on Pio Nono Avenue.

Tuggle was being held in the Bibb County jail on Wednesday evening.

Police investigators and officials from the Bibb County District Attorney’s Office declined Wednesday to talk about Tuggle’s arrest, citing the ongoing case, but they did say he is believed to be the driver for Frederick Allen Cooper, who was charged with shooting Blasingame in December 2009.

According to the police report, officers responded to a report of a person shot outside the nightclub.

When they arrived at the scene about 3:38 a.m., officers saw Blasingame, 25, lying on the ground next to a silver Ford.

Blasingame wasn’t breathing, and officers attempted to administer CPR when an ambulance arrived to take him to The Medical Center of Central Georgia, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Witnesses told investigators that an unknown man approached Blasingame, asked if he was “Flame,” then shot him four or five times.

The shooter got into a black Honda and fled the scene.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334.

This story was originally published June 2, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "2nd man charged with murder in 2009 shooting."