Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in Lowndes County Circuit Court in the 2010 death of Justin Murray.
Law enforcement officials allege that Murray, who was 22 at the time of his death, was gunned down by Ranzino Ahmad Harris in a home on Schoolhouse Avenue after the two were involved in altercation.
The shooting occurred just after 9 a.m. on May 17, 2010. Harris is accused of shooting Murray once in the chest at point-blank range and once in the back of the head. Murray’s friend Michael Brewer was also shot during the incident. Brewer, who was 21 at the time of the shooting and had just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, had his middle finger shot off by a stray bullet.
According to witnesses at the scene, Murray had broken up an altercation earlier that morning between Harris and his ex-girlfriend, Ashley Hill.
Harris left the scene then returned to the home with a gun and shot and killed Murray, law enforcement officials allege. Murray was pronounced dead at the scene. Harris turned himself into the Columbus Police Department less than an hour after the shooting.
He is charged with murder and one count of aggravated assault. He is also charged with child endangerment because four children under the age of nine were in the home at the time of the shooting.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Jackson is prosecuting the case. Harris is represented by attorney Mark Cliett.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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