Police report the victim of a fatal shooting Sunday morning in the Cotton District had multiple interactions with the suspects before he was shot, and more arrests are possible.
Joseph Tillman, 21, of Schlater was gunned down at about 1:50 a.m. on Maxwell Street, according to police. He was a senior marketing major at Mississippi State University.
Police Chief Frank Nichols, along with District Attorney Scott Colom and Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman released new information about the case when addressing the media Monday afternoon in the municipal courtroom at Starkville City Hall.
Authorities arrested Jaylen Barker, 20, who Colom identified as the shooter, on suspicion of murder. His bond is set at $1 million. Two others — 22-year-old Jamario Pippins and 19-year-old Brandon Sherrod — are being held on $500,000 bonds each on counts of accessory to murder after the fact. They were arraigned Monday in municipal court but did not enter pleas.
A fourth suspect, 16-year-old Tyler Harris, was also arrested on an accessory charge. Colom — who represents Oktibbeha, Lowndes, Clay and Noxubee counties — said Monday the juvenile court system must first process Harris before he can be charged in circuit court as an adult.
All four suspects are from Columbus.
During the press conference, Nichols said Tillman was robbed at some point before the shooting. He noted also the victim interacted with the suspects for several minutes before a shot was fired. At one point, Nichols said Tillman reportedly chased someone toward the Stagger-In on Maxwell Street, then walked back to talk with the four arrested suspects for about four more minutes before the shooting.
He said police “have reason to believe” Tillman may have used force during the interactions.
Oktibbeha County sheriff’s deputies, working from a vehicle description SPD provided, located and arrested the suspects later Sunday morning. Nichols said those officers found two guns in the vehicle, both of which have been sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab in Jackson for forensic testing.
“We don’t believe this was a random act of violence, but we don’t believe he was targeted either,” Nichols said.
Affidavits The Dispatch obtained from municipal court this morning indicate the three accessories may have confessed to their roles in the crime. However, they do not indicate Barker has confessed.
The documents do identify Sherrod as the driver of the vehicle when the four suspects fled the scene.
Nichols added a patrolling police unit drove by the scene moments before the shooting, and officers did not see evidence of imminent violence.
Further, Colom said there is no evidence Pippins, Sherrod or Harris knew anything about the shooting or the robbery until after it happened, although officers are still investigating.
Wiseman called the incident “an unspeakable tragedy” and lauded Tillman as a valuable member of the community.
“This is a lot for our community to cope with right now,” he said. “We are not a community that is accustomed to dealing with such acts of violence, nor do we plan on becoming such a community. For anyone who is contemplating such acts of violence, the events of the last 24 hours should serve as a reminder that justice will be served expeditiously.”
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshal Service, state police and Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office are all assisting in the ongoing investigation.
Tillman’s visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday at Wilson and Knight Funeral Home in Greenwood and from 9-10 a.m. Thursday at Greenwood’s First Baptist Church. His funeral will follow at 10 a.m. in the church.
Reporters Carl Smith and Joshua Starr contributed to this report.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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