Formal charges were laid out late Friday afternoon against six men in shootings that occurred in Greenwood early Wednesday morning.
Interrogations and investigation by police led to charges against the six, who are among 10 suspects who have been held at the Leflore County Jail since Wednesday. Exact names and details were not available as court proceedings extended into the evening.
Greenwood Police Chief Ray Moore said the charges include five for attempted murder, one charge of aggravated assault and one charge each for shooting into an occupied dwelling and shooting into an occupied vehicle.
The attempted murder charges stem from a barrage of bullets shot into an occupied house in the 700 block of Avenue I in South Greenwood. Moore said hulls of 9mm bullets, .223 cartridges and AK-47 ammunition were recovered at the site.
“There’s only one reason there was nobody dead in that house,” Moore said, “and that’s the grace of God.”
No one was injured in that shooting, which was reported to police at 1:40 a.m. on Wednesday.
Less than an hour later, while police were collecting evidence, more shots were fired just a few blocks away at McLaurin Street and Avenue H.
When police arrived there, they found a woman inside a bullet-riddled car who had been shot twice in the back.
She was airlifted to University of Mississippi Medical Center, where, as of Friday, she was reported to be in stable condition.
Evidence collected at both of the shooting sites led police to a home at 416 Ave. F, where 10 men were taken into custody.
According to Moore, police recovered four long guns, three handguns, ammunition matching the spent casings recovered at the shooting scenes and other evidence at the Avenue F location.
The four men who were not charged on Friday will be released unless more information comes out during the proceedings against the six charged, Moore said.
“Citizens of Greenwood can expect to hear about more charges in this case, possibly against those already charged and possibly against others,” Moore said.
Earlier on the same evening as the shootings in South Greenwood, Earnest Williams, 35, was ambushed by two gunmen and killed while sitting in the driver’s seat of his car at Bishop Apartments on Clay Street in Leflore County. A passenger had just exited Williams’ car but was not injured.
Leflore County Coroner Debra Sanders pronounced Williams dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds at 9:55 p.m.
Neither Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks nor Moore would rule out or confirm that the cases are related, but Moore said their agencies are cooperating on the ongoing investigation.
nContact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
