An early morning shooting left one man dead and the Columbus Police Department searching for the shooter.
Randle Carl Cooper Jr., 20, is wanted in connection with the shooting of 23-year-old Virgil Harris of Crawford. Cooper is considered armed and dangerous, Chief of Police Selvain McQueen said.
The shooting happened around 1:20 a.m. today near the intersection of 3rd Avenue North and 21st Street North, McQueen said. The reason for the shooting is unknown.
“There was no argument to the best of my knowledge between those two,” McQueen said.
Cooper and Harris were riding in a vehicle with an unamed female driver, according to McQueen. Harris, who was in the front passenger seat, asked the driver to take him to a home located near 21st Street North, when the vehicle came to a stop and Harris opened the door to exit. Witnesses on scene said that’s when Cooper began shooting. Cooper, who was in the back seat, leaned over the console and continued shooting Harris after he was on the ground, witnesses said.
“There were a bunch of shell casings out there,” McQueen said. “We found numerous casings at the location.”
The gun caliber is not being released, McQueen said.
Once Harris was on the ground, the driver got out of the vehicle and ran to help. Cooper got in the driver’s seat and the woman got back in the backseat. The two then fled the scene, McQueen said.
Cooper drove to the area of Fifth Avenue North where he parked the car, took the keys and fled on foot. The woman, who had a spare set of keys, drove back to the scene of the shooting.
Witnesses who observed the shooting dialed 911. Harris was transported via ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle. He was pronounced dead at 2:27 a.m., Lowndes County Corner Greg Merchant said.
Merchant said Harris appears to have died from multiple gunshot wounds but the body is being transported to Jackson for an autopsy.
McQueen urged anyone with information regarding Cooper’s location to contact the police department at 662 244-3552.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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