More details are emerging regarding the recent shooting on West 5th Street shooting that left two people dead and five injured, including the first arrest in the case.
Officials from the Hattiesburg Police Department held a November 4 briefing at the police station during which Ryan Moore, who serves as public information for the department, said 20-year-old Justin Williams of Hattiesburg was arrested and charged with first degree murder, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence. Additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
“One thing that we can’t stress enough is that the members of our department work countless hours around the clock, continuing this without breaks, and continuing on to be sure that every individual involved in this incident is accounted for and brought to justice,” Moore said. “That is one thing they strive to do, and it will be done.”
The shooting occurred on November 2 in the 100 block of West 5th Street in Hattiesburg. Officers responded to the scene just before 7 p.m. and found five individuals suffering from gunshot wounds, who were transported from the scene to a local hospital.
Two of the individuals were pronounced dead by Forrest County deputy coroner Lisa Klem, and have been identified as 48-year-old Ricardo Hollingsworth and 57-year-old Sherry Strickland, both of Hattiesburg.
Two of the injured individuals have since been released from the hospital, while one still remained hospitalized as of Friday.
As the investigation progressed, officers learned that the incident was isolated and started with an argument between neighbors on the scene.
“They were gathered in the roadway and in the yards, continuing to argue, and what started as an argument led to a fistfight,” Moore said. “That fistfight continued to escalate – continued to get out of hand – then individuals went and pulled guns.
“During that process, there was an exchange of gunfire by multiple individuals involved in this incident. Everybody that was injured in this matter was either in the yard or the roadway in this incident.”
The investigation is still ongoing at this time. Anyone with information is encouraged to call HPD at (601) 544-7900 or Metro Police at (601) 582-7867.
“No matter how small it is, no matter how irrelevant you think it is, if you see something, say something,” Moore said. “We need your information so we can continue this investigation and hold the people accountable.”
In an additional twist, at approximately 11 p.m. the day after the shooting, the house where the shooting occurred caught on fire, with firefighters arriving to find flames coming from the roof and interior of the home. The house was unoccupied at the time, and no injuries were reported.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office will insist in the investigation into the fire, which firefighters have expressed was suspicious.
