Sheriff: Leads Are Scarce In Weekend Shooting

Sheriff: Leads Are  Scarce In Weekend Shooting

By David Howell

Editor

OAKLAND – Two people were injured in a Saturday night brawl south of Oakland but deputies have had little luck finding a suspect or even a witness.

Sheriff Lance Humphreys reported one victim was shot in the jaw and the second victim was struck in the back of the head with a glass bottle. Both men were initially transported to Merit Health in Batesville in private vehicles. The gunshot victim was later taken to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis for treatment.

“We didn’t actually learn about the shooting until a call came from the Batesville hospital,” Humphreys told the Herald. The call came in around 2 a.m. and it took deputy Thomas West over an hour to find out the altercation occurred on County Road 272, a dead-end road that runs west off of Hwy. 51, south of Oakland.

“This is bizarre because we know there were multiple people at the party and nobody is cooperating at all,” Humphreys also said. 

The sheriff said Investigator Jerimaine Gooch and West worked until almost noon Sunday on the case, securing the scene, a rural shop on County Road 272, where they found blood on the floor, before traveling to Memphis to try and interview the gunshot victim. The sheriff said the victim was sedated and initially not able to cooperate with authorities.

Although the second victim has less severe injuries, he is equally uncooperative, according to the sheriff.

“He doesn’t know who did it or even why the fight stated,” Humphreys said.

Anyone with information about the crime is urged to contact Yalobusha County Crime Stoppers. The organization will pay up to $1,000 for information about this crime. You can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-933-TIPS or 473-4935.