A 23-year-old man wanted in a Mississippi mass shooting was arrested early yesterday at a Columbus apartment, bringing a two-state manhunt to an abrupt end. Larry Smith Jr. was taken without incident after U.S. Marshals and Franklin County sheriff’s SWAT officers tracked him to the city’s East Side, authorities said. He is now in Franklin County custody while Mississippi officials seek to bring him back.
The arrest happened at an apartment in the 1300 block of Burnham Drive, according to WSYX/ABC6. The station reported that the U.S. Marshals Service Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team, known as SOFAST, worked with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team to locate Smith. U.S. Marshal Michael D. Black said the partnership helped produce a “quick and safe arrest.”
The case stems from a July 4 shooting near the Orchard Café on Highway 24 in Centreville, Mississippi. WLBT reported that nine people arrived at a hospital with gunshot wounds after the roughly 12:55 a.m. incident, two adult men died, three victims were sent to an out-of-area trauma center, and four were treated and released. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation assisted local agencies with the shooting investigation.
Smith Faces Mississippi Charges After Columbus Arrest
Smith is wanted by the Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office on two counts of murder, seven counts of felonious assault and 10 counts of drive-by shooting, according to authorities. WSYX/ABC6 reported that he was taken to the Franklin County Jail pending extradition proceedings back to Mississippi. The charges are allegations, and Smith’s guilt will be decided in court.
The arrest closes the Columbus portion of the case, but the legal proceedings will now shift toward Mississippi. Authorities have not announced a timetable for Smith’s extradition or an initial court appearance there.
