Meridian police investigate recent shootings

Published: May. 16, 2022 at 4:10 PM CDT

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - Meridian police have been very busy with several shootings taking place in the city of Meridian.

Since Friday, at least four people have been shot, one of them fatally.

According to police, one person was shot in the leg late Friday night on 34th St. and Highland Ave. A few hours later a man was shot in the chest on Vally St. Early Sunday morning Gary Moffite, 43, was found shot to death at Eastern Garden Apartments.

The latest shooting happened Monday morning near the Exxon gas station on Hwy 19. That person was shot in the neck but was up and talking with police at the scene.

“This doesn’t go as fast as we like it,” Luebbers said. “Unless we have good eyewitnesses or people willing to come forward and fill out statements or get video surveillance. It takes time to piece those pieces together and to find out who those people were with.”

So far this year, there have been six homicides in Meridian. Police have made arrests in four of them.

“We are trying to beef up patrol in those areas as much as possible,” Luebbers said. “They’re pretty unpredictable. As you notice, they’re happening on different sides of town, which is kind of making it complicated to focus our officers into a certain area. We are trying to get more watchers on the streets.”

If you have any information about any of the recent crimes, you are asked to contact Meridian police or the East Mississippi Crimestoppers line at 855-485-TIPS.

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