A 25-year old is dead after being shot in an alley in west Clarksdale Friday morning and two have been arrested in connection with the crime.
Police were called to the 600 block of Catalpa Street about 11 a.m. in reference to a shooting and found, Robert Johnson, a black male, suffering a severe gunshot wound.
Johnson was immediately transferred to Merit Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
On Saturday, Maurice Calhoun turned himself in to Clarksdale Police. On Monday, police arrested Trevarius Smith, 26, in the 200 block of West Second Street.
Both men have been charged with the murder of Johnson. Calhoun had bond set at $1 million. Smith was slated for arraignment in Municipal Court on Wednesday.
Clarksdale Assistant Chief Vince Ramirez said no motive has been determined as of Tuesday and the crime is still under investigation.
Ramirez said the shooting occurred in an alley behind Catalpa near its intersection with Herrin Street in broad daylight.
“Officers responded very quickly to the shooting call and once they arrived and received information, they saturated the area looking for suspects who were identified with the assistance of the community,” said Ramirez. “I commend the officers for their quick response, the citizens for providing important information and the officers who performed CPR on the victim until paramedics arrived.”
Ramirez has asked anyone with information about this incident to call the Clarksdale Police Department at 621-8156, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or simply dial 911. All calls remain anonymous and cash is paid to those providing information that leads to solving this crime.
“It is very unfortunate for anyone to lose a life to senseless gun violence, we are praying for the family,” said Ramirez. “Investigators worked around the clock in an effort to identify and arrest the suspects believed to be responsible for the homicide.”
Residents are reminded that Clarksdale has a 10 p.m. to 5 p.m. curfew and there are to be no public gatherings under an order issued by the city.
The shooting was Clarksdale’s second homicide this year.
Brunley McDowell was formally charged Tuesday Jan. 7 with the stabbing death of her husband following an incident at her home. She is currently in the Coahoma County Jail awaiting trial.
Clarksdale police responded to a call of a man deceased on a front porch in the 1400 block of Herrin Street Monday morning and while there were no initial signs of trauma a later examination by the Coahoma County coroner Sonny Meredith determined the man died violently.
Clarksdale recorded 12 murders in 2018 and churches and neighborhoods joined with police to stop the violence and help authorities. Clarksdale only recorded two murders in 2019, the last on was the death of Lashone Jones on Issaquena Avenue on Oct. 15.
