Four more teens arrested in shooting that sent people scrambling at Mississippi festival

Published 5:41 am Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Batesville Police have wrapped up most of their investigation into the May 21 shooting just off the Downtown Square during the closing moments of the city’s annual Springfest musical festival that featured native son Jameson Rogers.

The shooting on Lomax Street sent festival goers scrambling for cover and Springfest security pulled Rogers and his band off the stage about 90 seconds before the final song would have ended.

Two teenagers were arrested the week following the shooting, and both are currently out of jail on $1 million bonds. Four more youths were arrested Thursday in Grenada by U.S. Marshals and transported to the Panola County Jail where they were charged with the same crimes as the two arrested earlier.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Each of the six have been charged with three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of armed robbery, and shooting into a dwelling.

Batesville Chief of Police Kerry Pittman said this week the last four arrests were suspects who police had been investigating from the beginning, and whose part in the shooting became clearer as the case evolved.

Pittman said because all the people involved in the shooting – victims and alleged shooters – are from Grenada County, officers here aren’t as concerned about retaliation attacks as they normally would be following gunshots fired by people believed to be members of gangs, or acting on their behalf.

The Square was full of law enforcement officers from BPD and the Sheriff’s Office at the time, and police were able to secure the scene quickly. One victim was taken to Panola Medical Center emergency room and then transferred to another hospital. His injuries were not life threatening.

Batesville investigators will now turn over all their findings to the District Attorney’s Office, who will then present the evidence gathered to a Grand Jury and seek indictments. The charges against the six may be altered by the DA’s Office as they seek guilty pleas or trial convictions.

The four arrested last week are;

Deontae Corinthians Barton, 16, Thomas Javan Ware, 16 , J’Deion Lashawn Wrenn, 18 , and Tavares Keiean Johnson, 16.

The teens arrested in May are D’vontae D’Sean Journey, 18, and Zyducius Rah’camary Jones, 18.