Three Columbus men were arrested Monday in connection to a Dec. 23 shooting on Southside.
Rufus Neal, 25, is charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling and three counts of aggravated assault. Johnathan Courington, 20, and Demarcus Moore, 24, are both charged as accessories after the fact, according to a press release from Columbus Police Department.
Officers responded to a family disturbance that led to a shooting at about 11:30 p.m. on the 1700 block of Bell Avenue. During the shooting, a reported 30 to 40 rounds were shot into a vehicle, CPD Public Information Officer Bryan Moore told The Dispatch Saturday.
One victim, a 17-year-old male, was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle by a private vehicle, the release said. From there, he was airlifted to University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson for his injuries.
The gunfire also hit a residence in the area, Bryan Moore told The Dispatch Tuesday, leading to Neal’s shooting into an occupied dwelling charge.
A second shooting Saturday night was also connected to the Dec. 23 shooting, Bryan Moore told The Dispatch Tuesday, but all of the charges thus far stem from the first incident.
Officers with CPD’s SWAT team arrested both Moore and Courington, while Neal surrendered himself to police, the release said. More arrests and charges are anticipated, as the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information on either shooting can leave an anonymous tip with 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 48 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
