NEWS

Suspect identified in Jackson's 55th homicide

Therese Apel
The Clarion-Ledger

A young woman was fatally shot on Thursday by a man police believe may have stood in the road and fired at the car as it came towards him.

Police process a Grand Prix where a woman was shot dead on Thursday.

Police are looking for Marsalis Townsend, 21, on charges of murder, aggravated assault, and shooting in an occupied vehicle. The fatal shooting is Jackson's 55th homicide of 2016.

Kristen Bennett, 18, was a passenger in a Pontiac Grand Prix that took gunfire from the front. The driver, Wyvonia Bell, 19, was superficially wounded, and was able to give police a little bit of information on the incident, but Jackson Police Dept. Chief Lee Vance said at the scene that details are still scarce.

Marsalis Townsend

The car came to rest on Gaddis Street, but police said shell casings were found from an assault rifle on Dunbar Street and that the shooting may have taken place there. Bennett was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident took place around noon, Vance said. He said police believe the Grand Prix was followed by a van or a silver vehicle with two females inside, but that they were also told Townsend was allegedly standing in the middle of the street, taking aim as Bell and Bennett passed by.

Neighbors stood visibly shaken in their yards, watching as authorities processed the scene. Just outside the police tape at West Street, some family members of the survivor comforted each other.

If you have knowledge of this crime, please call JPD at 601-960-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477). You may also submit a tip online by clicking on the web tip link on the homepage of the Central MS Crime Stoppers website, or submit your tip information from a mobile device or any other computer by going to www.P3tips.com.

Bullet holes are seen in the car that the victim was a passenger in.
Evidence placards mark the shell casings found on Dunbar Street. Police believe they are tied to Thursday's homicide.

Contact Therese Apel at tapel@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.