WEST POINT — The first arrest has been made in a March shooting at Oasis Lounge that killed one woman and injured 12 other victims.
District Attorney Scott Colom said Wednesday afternoon this arrest is just the beginning.
“I don’t want to say too much, but I can tell you, if you had a gun that night or you shot a gun that night, you should not be sleeping well,” he said during a press conference at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. “Once we connect the dots, I think you should expect the handcuffs.”
Tyler Brooks, 23, of Macon, was arrested Wednesday morning in Macon, Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said. The arrest was led by the U.S. Marshal’s office, coordinating with members of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Noxubee County Sheriff’s Office.
Brooks is charged with first-degree murder and 12 counts of aggravated assault.
Eron Taleese Chandler, 20, of Columbus, was killed in the shooting March 3, after gunfire broke out in the nightclub just north of West Point on Highway 45 Alt. shortly after midnight.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene and found Chandler dead, Scott told The Dispatch at a press conference the next day.
There were also two serious injuries, including one victim shot in the face and another shot three times. Others injured had grazing wounds to limbs, he said.
“Our prayers are with the families of the victims, of the deceased,” Colom said. “I know it’s been a long time, but the patience they showed resulted in an arrest, and that’s because of the hard work and the efforts of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. They were extremely diligent in the way they investigated the case.”
Colom told The Dispatch after Wednesday’s press conference that Chandler was not the intended target of the shooting. Beyond that, he would not comment on any prior connection between Brooks and Chandler. He also could not speak to the type of firearms used in the shooting, since ballistic testing has not yet come back.
Scott said there were between 300 and 400 people in the club when the gunfire started. But when the sheriff’s office started trying to collect evidence, they ran into a few hurdles.
“We (were) really handicapped that night, because of lack of security up there, as far as cameras and that type of stuff,” Scott said. “We had to depend on the public, and they (came) through for us. We had cell phone videos sent in. We had pictures sent in of the club inside and out. Altogether, these tips helped us to put together a picture for the investigators to look at.”
Scott said the sheriff’s office also ran into issues with getting eye-witnesses to tell law enforcement what they had seen.
Assistant District Attorney Trina Davidson-Brooks and Colom arranged for a grand jury to convene the first week of April and again the first week in June as a part of the investigation.
Colom called the grand jury “essential” for the arrest, and thanked the members of the jury for serving, as it led to law enforcement getting sworn testimony that was used in the arrest.
“We’re not going to stop until we get everyone involved,” Davidson-Brooks said. “But I wanted to thank the grand juries and everybody who called in, who gave a tip. It’s because of you all that we’re able to make this arrest today.”
Bond has not yet been set for Brooks, Scott said. He is being held at the Clay County Jail. His arraignment should be Thursday afternoon.
Anyone with information should call the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at (662) 494-2896 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at (800) 530-7151.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
