Last night, a dispute escalated into a fatal shooting outside a Kentwood convenience store, police say. Deshawn Roberts of Osyka, Mississippi, was the man killed in the altercation that ended with gunfire on Highway 51. Reports from the Kentwood Police identified the suspect as Demarcus Blount, of McComb, Mississippi, who now faces charges. According to FOX 8 Live, Blount was apprehended after trying to leave the scene, only to surrender when an officer intercepted his vehicle proceeding north on US 51.
Blount was incarcerated at the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on counts of second-degree murder and illegal employment of a deadly weapon. It appears that the conflict initiated inside the 4 Way Quick Stop and then spilled out into the parking area after both men drew firearms, as per the police. "Both individuals brandished firearms and investigators say surveillance footage suggests Blount was the only one of the two that fired shots," the nighttime argument was clarified by officials, having taken out their guns. Blount, driving away from the location, was promptly arrested by an observant officer, as reported by WDSU.
Roberts was transported to the hospital following the shooting but owing to his injuries, he later passed away. Investigators are actively pursuing leads in the case and urge anyone who might have relevant information to come forward. The Kentwood Police Department has opened channels for information at (985) 229-6305, hoping that someone will be able to assist in piecing together the events that led to Roberts’s death.
The incident, which involved gunfire shortly before 11 p.m., saw a cooperative response from the Kentwood Police and Sheriff's Office, culminating in the timely arrest of the shooter. Officials confirmed that the alleged shooter hailed from Mississippi, but among the details still veiled in shadows, like outlined by WWLTV, no other information is currently available.
