A 19-year-old New Hope student died in Tupelo early today after he was shot in the head in Lowndes County by three suspects, possibly in connection with a drive-by shooting early Thursday.
Three men broke into a home at 850 Harrison Road at about 3:15 a.m. today, went to a bedroom and shot William Deshun Stallings, of 307 Hospital Drive, Apt. 5, in Columbus, once in the head while he was lying on a friend”s couch, according to Lowndes County Sheriff”s Chief Deputy Greg Wright.
Stallings was airlifted in critical condition to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, where he was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound, said Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant. An autopsy is scheduled for this weekend.
Two others — Michael and Shirley Love — were in the residence when the suspects entered the home, Wright said. Michael Love ran outside, where he heard two gunshots, then saw the men leave the home and run down Harrison toward Highway 50, possibly to a waiting vehicle.
Shirley Love, Michael”s mother, said she was in another bedroom when she heard the shots. The suspects then came into her room and searched her purse, Wright continued. When she told them she didn”t have anything, they left.
Deputies arrived on the scene at 3:26 a.m. and gave medical aid to Stallings, who was described by Wright as a New Hope student.
Investigators were interviewing several people today in connection with the shooting, although no suspects were in custody as of 9:30 a.m., Wright said.
Today”s shooting could be connected to a drive-by shooting in Lowndes County early Thursday and a report of shots fired the night before in East Columbus because of their proximity to each other, Wright said.
“It”s safe to say they could be connected,” Wright said. “We”re looking into it.”
Thursday, what is thought to have been two suspects shot several times at a house occupied by a couple and their son, and at their vehicles at 1171 Tabernacle Road, at about 1 a.m.
Although deputies recovered numerous shell casings in the road in front of the house, only one of the bullets made its way into the house, entering an empty bedroom, said Detective Tony Cooper. No one was injured.
That same night, shots were fired in East Columbus, possibly by the same people, Cooper said. Investigators are still looking into a possible connection.
Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to make an anonymous call to the Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 1-800-530-7151. A tip that leads to an arrest could be worth up to $1,000.
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