The two suspects involved in the recent shooting near William Carey University that caused campus officials to put the school under a brief lockdown had their bonds set during an October 27 initial appearance in Hattiesburg Municipal Court.
Lin Carter, who serves as district attorney for Forrest and Perry counties, said 17-year-old Kyree Freeman’s bond was set at $100,000. Freeman, who is being tried as an adult, also was ordered to wear an ankle monitor if he posts bail.
The other suspect, who is 13 years old, had his bond set at $50,000 and was also given the ankle bracelet stipulation. Because of his age, his identity will not be released.
Carter said as of November 1, Freeman was still being held in the Forrest County Correctional Facility, but the 13-year-old had posted bail.
Freeman is charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and four counts of possession of a stolen firearm. The 13-year-old is charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, grand larceny of an automobile and four counts of possession of a stolen firearm.
Ten percent of the bond amount is required to post bail; therefore, Freeman would need $10,000 to bail out and the 13-year-old would have been made to pay $5,000 for that measure.
Carter said the case has not yet been sent to his office.
The incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. October 25, when police responded to a call of shots fired in the 600 block of Tuscan Avenue. The two suspects were arrested and charged in connection with the shooting, along with a separate event the previous day.
The shooting prompted university officials to place WCU’s campus of a brief lockdown as a safety precaution while police attended to the situation.
A statement issued by the university confirmed that students, faculty and staff were instructed to shelter in place while police officers apprehended the suspects.
“WCU is thankful to the Hattiesburg Police Department and Forrest County Sheriff’s Department, which responded immediately and worked with university officials to ensure everyone’s safety,” the statement reads. “The incident that prompted the lockdown occurred on a public street in front of a William Carey building. The HPD’s investigation ended quickly with the arrest of the suspects.”
There were no injuries reported in the incident.
Both suspects were booked into the Forrest County Correctional Facility. There are additional charges pending, and the investigation is ongoing.
