One dead, suspect in custody in Clarke County homicide

CLARKE COUNTY, Miss. (WTOK) - One man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in a shooting death early Friday.

Clarke County Sheriff Todd Kemp said Michael “Mike Mike” Tillman was taken into custody around 2:00 p.m. Friday.

Tillman is accused of killing Roderick McCarty, 32, around 2:30 a.m. Authorities say Tillman and McCarty got into a fist fight at an apartment on County Road 1585, near Highway 513.

“It moved out to the street in front of this residence and that’s where the fatal shot was fired,” Kemp said.

They say McCarty was shot one time in the abdomen and was dropped off at H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital where he died.

“We do believe they have been acquaintances for a long time. They went to school together and both are about the same age,” Kemp said.

Kemp encourages local clergy to reach out to the community and start mentoring to troubled youth.

“They need to get on the ball and they need to start ministering to people out here that want to do bodily harm to one another. They need to get in these communities,” Kemp explained. “They need to talk to these young people. They think they can go to the dollar store and buy a new life. That doesn’t happen. All we see is violence, violence, violence. You know, I’ve been doing this for 36 years and I still wonder why what one human being can do to another.”

Want more news from WTOK 11 in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2022 WTOK. All rights reserved.