A Kosciusko man arrested for a fatal Saturday morning shooting at the Starkville Walmart is being held without bond in the Oktibbeha County Jail.
Starkville police arrested 41-year-old William Thomas Chisholm in the store’s parking lot Saturday morning after he shot and killed 42-year-old Shauna Witt, of Maben. The shooting happened inside the store on Highway 12 in west Starkville, according to police and witness accounts.
Chisholm was originally set to have an arraignment in Starkville municipal court Sunday afternoon. However, that was canceled at about 3 p.m. Shortly after, SPD announced in press release that Chisholm has been denied bond, and he is set to appear in municipal court on Wednesday.
Police originally arrested Chisholm on suspicion of murder. SPD upgraded the charge to capital murder Saturday afternoon, with burglary as an underlying offense.
On Sunday, SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady confirmed Chisholm also faces a charge of malicious mischief that stems from damage to a department vehicle after the incident.
Witt, an optometrist at Walmart’s eye center, was in an “on again, off again” relationship with Chisholm, according to police. SPD reported that Chisholm was out on felony bond when the shooting happened for an incident in Kosciusko related to Witt. Details on that incident were not available by press time due to the holiday, despite multiple calls by The Dispatch.
Police responded to the scene at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday and arrested Chisholm in the parking lot. The store remained closed through the remainder of Saturday, and reopened Sunday.
Witt was sent to OCH Regional Medical Center. OCH spokesperson Mary Kathryn Kight confirmed Witt arrived at the hospital with two gunshot wounds at 9:58 a.m., and was pronounced dead at 10:05 a.m.
No other injuries were reported in Saturday’s shooting.
Witt was the only optometrist practicing at the store’s eye clinic. In a statement sent to The Dispatch on Saturday evening, Walmart advised customers to seek optometrists elsewhere for the immediate future. Patients with further questions can call the eye center when it reopens on Wednesday.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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