Gunfire across Clarksdale last night sent several people to the hospital and have police trying to find out the motive that sparked the shootings and who committed those crimes.
Police have not said if the shootings are gang oriented or might be related.
Police were called to the emergency room at Delta Health Clarksdale three different times Wednesday night as shooting victims came seeking help for their wounds.
State law requires hospitals to report gunshot wound to authorities immediately.
The shootings are believed to have occurred in and around State Street or Highway 161 about the time it got dark.
It was not made public if any of the shootings or people or vehicles involved in the shootings were captured on the extensive SkyCop camera network installed by the city this year.
As of Thursday morning police have not named any suspects in the crimes or reported any arrests. The shootings are being deemed aggravated assaults which are felonies.
Police Chief Robbie Linley is asking the community for help in stopping the violence and urging anyone who saw the incident or posted details about the incident to Facebook to call authorities at 621-8151 or call police at 645-INFO (4636).
Facebook lit up Wednesday night as people in both the Black and White community expressed outrage at this blatant and indiscriminant gunfire on the streets of Clarksdale.
“Of course I cannot give away our strategy or game plan for combating this violent crime,” said Linley, “but I would like to assure the public that we currently aggressively combating this recent increase in violent crime with the assistance from other law enforcement partners.”
Clarksdale Police were first called to the emergency room at 8:21 p.m. Wednesday night after a man came in with a gunshot wound to the hand and shoulder.
Police reports said Martez Jones said he and Derrick Clay were riding in the 300 block of Madison Avenue when their vehicle was fired into.
Jones told police Clay drove him to the emergency room.
Multiple shell casings were later recovered at the corner of Bishop Dawson and Madison Avenue and the case was assigned to Investigator L. Grimes and Assistant Chief Starks.
Police reports said there were no suspects at the time the report was made public Thursday morning.
The second shooting was reported after police were called to the emergency room at Delta Health Clarksdale in reference to a man being shot.
Police reports said officers spoke with Nicholas Bell who told said he was at Eight Street Grocery and went outside to get something from his car, heard gunshots and immediatel hid behind his car.
Bell told police he later noticed he had been hit and was taken to the emergency room. Bell told police he did not see who was shooting.
This shooting occurred at 10:06 p.m. in the 100 block of Eighth Street and police have listed it as an aggravated assault.
The case was assigned to Investigator L. Grimes and Assistant Chief Starks and police reports said there were no suspects at the time the report was filed.
Police responded to the third shooting in Clarksdale Wednesday night and were again called to the emergency room at about 11 p.m. after a man was brought in with a gunshot wound to the lower back area.
Police reports did not list where the incident took place, the man was unconscious when he was brought to the hospital and he was later taken in a Memphis Hospital.
Police reports listed Laharrison Johnson as the complainant in the case.
The case was assigned to Investigator L. Grimes and Assistant Chief Starks and police reports said there were no suspects at the time the report was made public Thursday morning.
Aggravated assault is defined as injury or threat to a person to make them fear for their life. It is punishable by up to 20-years in prison and a $10,000 fine. An adult who assaults a juvenile can find the penalty enhanced to 30-years in prison.
Aggravated assault is a felony and shooting into a home or car can also be deemed a felony if prosecutors and judges wish to pursue it.
Firing shots inside the city limits of Clarksdale is a misdemeanor but can be enhanced to a felony if the person shooting has a previous conviction for certain crime or the shots were premeditated with intent to cause hate, harm or fear.
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