The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a Columbus man in the 2023 shooting at Inferno Sports Bar.

The court issued its ruling Thursday, denying Undra Williams’ claims that unreliable eyewitness testimony and the lack of a murder weapon warranted a new trial.

A Lowndes County Circuit Court jury convicted Williams in January 2024 for the first-degree murder of Devan Thompson and sentenced him to life in prison. The jury also convicted Williams for three counts of aggravated assault for gunfire that hit three other victims, adding 60 years to his sentence.

On May 26, 2023, at about 11:45 p.m., Williams entered Inferno Sports Bar and approached Thompson.

The two got into an argument and Williams lifted his shirt and removed a firearm from his waist before shooting Thompson multiple times.

As the shots were fired, four other victims in the bar were injured by stray bullets before being taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, according to previous reporting from The Dispatch.

During the course of Columbus Police Department’s investigation, nine bullets were found at the crime scene that were all fired by the same gun. No firearm was found on Thompson’s body or at the scene of the crime. The gun used in the shooting was never found or entered into evidence.

Williams turned himself in to CPD two days after the shooting. He was only charged with three counts of aggravated assault, in addition to the murder, because the fourth victim could not be located by law enforcement.

During the trial, seven witnesses, including the three victims, testified that Williams was the shooter at the bar that night, and surveillance cameras showed Williams entering the bar and opening fire on Thompson.

In his appeal, Williams argued that the witnesses’ testimony was unreliable because they were intoxicated the night of the shooting and because the club was dark and chaotic.

In its opinion, the court said several of the witnesses testified they had not been drinking that night. Additionally, their testimony was bolstered by the fact that Williams was also identified through surveillance footage at the bar.

The court said decisions on witness reliability are left up to the jury to decide, and they are free to accept or reject witness testimony. Likewise, the court does not assess witness reliability on an appeal, the opinion said.

The court found no error in the jury basing its conviction on the witness’s testimony.

Williams also argued that since the gun used in the shooting was not found, the jury could not properly convict him.

The court noted Mississippi courts have historically held a conviction may stand based entirely on witness testimony, denying Williams’ claim.

“Eyewitnesses placed Williams at the scene, saw him draw a firearm and heard shots fired,” the court said. “Video evidence from multiple angles further corroborated the eyewitness testimony. Accordingly, we find that this issue is without merit.”