The weekend of Oct. 11 was filled with chaos and bloodshed in Yazoo City as an early-morning shooting left one man dead and another injured.
As many gathered in Yazoo City to celebrate homecoming over the weekend, a deadly shooting occurred during a private party at a home about 3 a.m. Oct. 12.
Yazoo County Coroner Ricky Shivers said Jarvis Williams, 35, of Yazoo City, was pronounced dead at the emergency room of Baptist Medical Center Yazoo.
“The victim was shot multiple times, and he was pronounced dead in the emergency room shortly after his arrival,” Shivers said.
Police Chief Terry Gann said a second victim was also airlifted to a Jackson hospital in critical condition. However, as of press time, the second victim was listed in stable condition.
“We do have persons of interests in this case,” Gann said. “We are in the process of gathering evidence to make arrests. We feel like several arrests will be made with this investigation.”
Gann said the local homecoming weekend was hectic with his entire department called in to handle the manpower needed within the city. When the report of the deadly shooting was first called into the Yazoo City Police Department, officers were in the middle of handling an automobile accident at a railroad crossing on Broadway and Water.
“A driver of a truck thought he could beat the train and was struck,” Gann said. “Two passengers were taken to the hospital, but the driver fled the scene. It was during that situation when we got the call about the shooting.”
The driver of the fleeing truck from the train accident was later identified, however.
“We began looking for the location of the shooting provided by the caller when we received a report from the hospital that two gunshot victims had arrived at the emergency room,” Gann said. “After our investigation, we discovered that these two victims had gone to a house party and got into an altercation that led to gunfire.”
Gann said the two victims were brothers, and the shooting incident occurred at a residence. He also added that no other injuries were reported.
Gann said his department stayed on the move the entire weekend of the local homecoming celebrations.
“We issued several citations with careless and reckless driving,” Gann said. “We had such a large crowd of out-of-town visitors who came into our community as well. The crowds were an issue. Large crowds of people who arrived at the local nightclubs after the football game couldn’t get in because it was so packed. So, they then began hanging out all over into the streets. My officers were simply outnumbered with everything that was going on from the crowds to the nightclubs to the tailgating.”
During last year’s homecoming celebrations, Gann invited outside state agencies to assist the local police department. He said that invitation might have to be a tradition in the future.
“I called everyone in for homecoming, and we were still outnumbered,” Gann said.
Gann said he intends to meet with the city leaders to see what can be done in the future to deter such incidents.
The last homecoming celebration that resulted in bloodshed occurred in 2019 with three separate shootings that left two men dead and others injured.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen also addressed the weekend violence during its Monday meeting.
“Young adults, there is a better way to resolve your differences,” said Mayor David Starling. “You have to put the guns down.”
Alderman Jammie McCoy said the level of violence occurring in Yazoo City is shocking considering its small size.
“For us to be as small as we are, it’s an epidemic,” McCoy said. “We should be one big family. Instead, what we are seeing and hearing is shocking. There is so much anger now. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“This is a warning, a wake-up call,” added Alderwoman Elizabeth Thomas.
Alderman Macklyn Austin said he has been extremely proud of the local police department’s efforts to deter criminal activities.
“They have done an outstanding job, but we still were met with another senseless act of violence,” Austin said. “For the past year, with the chief change, it has simmered down. But we can’t afford to take our feet off the gas. It’s not a secret in Yazoo City who is doing what and where it is going on.”
Austin said he would like to see the local curfew ordinance to be enforced immediately to particularly handle some of the crimes involving local juveniles.
“As small as Yazoo City is, we should not have to dealing with street gangs, this whole East Side versus West Side,” Austin said. “We should not have these street gangs, juveniles or young people putting fear in our regular citizens.”
