Downtown Yazoo City was marked with death this weekend as a shooting left one man dead and the suspect apparently taking his own life the next morning.
Wesley Moore died Sunday in a Jackson hospital after being shot in the back at a Broadway business early Saturday morning. The body of suspect Keith Dent was discovered on the side of a street Saturday morning, with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Chief Jeff Curtis said officers were first called to Big Chase Restaurant at 108 East Broadway around 1:45 a.m. Saturday.
“We were called out in reference to a subject having been shot,” Curtis said. “We determined that it was an altercation between Wesley Moore and Keith Dent. Wesley Moore suffered a gunshot wound to the back.”
Moore was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
“He was at UMC in critical condition, but he passed away (Sunday),” Curtis said, Monday afternoon.
Curtis said investigators began to search for Keith Dent after witnesses identified him as the shooter.
Around 7:15 a.m. that same morning, officers were dispatched to the corner of Monroe and Jefferson streets.
“It was reported that there was a black male in a yard with a weapon next to him,” Curtis said. “We arrived at the scene and identified him as Keith Dent. He was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Curtis said Dent appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“We are still investigating this incident and speaking with witnesses to piece everything together,” Curtis added.
Curtis said he is also unclear as to what type of business Big Chase Restaurant is classified as. Is it a restaurant, a nightclub or a pool hall?
“There are so many establishments around right now that are able to stay open late into the morning hours,” he said. “It’s hard to really even identify these places. I am going to request that we put an ordinance in place to restrict these kind of hours in a place where activities could be dangerous, especially in places where alcohol is purchased, provided or allowed.”
Curtis said added that security was not present at Big Chase Restaurant the night of the murder.
“This continues to be a concern for us,” Curtis said. “I hope that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen address these establishments with rules and regulations to ensure safety in our city.”
This week’s murder marks the third murder in the last several weeks in connection with establishments operating with late hours.
