A McComb man is dead after a Sunday evening shooting, and authorities arrested a man in another unrelated shooting Monday that wounded two people, officials said.
Jesse Fearence, 55, 2189 Wardlaw Road, McComb, was shot to death on Wardlaw Road while apparently in the act of stealing the shooter’s property, said Pike County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Bellipanni.
Bellipanni said Fearence apparently had gone on a crime spree in the Wardlaw Road area, stealing items from several residences.
“One of the property owners caught him with his property and ended up having to sadly take his life,” Bellipanni said. “He actually was on a four-wheel-drive Kubota side-by-side when the owner of it caught him driving it.”
Fearence was shot several times with a Glock 19 9mm handgun.
Deputies arrived at the scene and attempted life-saving measures. Fearence was taken by ambulance to Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center, where Coroner Wally Jones pronounced him dead at 6:39 p.m.
Sheriff’s officials are interviewing the shooter as well as other property owners, who reported the theft of such items as chainsaws, nail guns and fishing rods.
Fearence has a criminal record and in May was indicted for fourth-offense DUI.
Bellipanni said he didn’t know whether the shooter will be charged.
“We would highly encourage the public, if you see a crime or see something going on, take a moment and call 911 and let the sheriff’s office come and tend to the issue,” Bellipanni said. “Please don’t put yourself in harm’s way. A chainsaw or some kind of power equipment is not worth losing your life over.”
Shooting suspect surrenders
In the other case, a man who allegedly shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend early Monday surrendered after a manhunt Tuesday afternoon in Magnolia.
Joshua Webber, 36, 245 E. Holly St., Magnolia, surrendered to Police Chief Sonya Woodall around 3:30 p.m.
Bellipanni said Webber went to his ex-girlfriend’s Pleasant Drive home around 1:30 a.m. Monday, where he still had a key. He allegedly went in and shot both victims with a .410-gauge shotgun. Pellets struck the woman in the shoulder and sprinkled the boyfriend.
Webber then allegedly took the woman and their baby riding in his car before dropping her off at her mother’s and the child off at an uncle’s residence.
The woman went by ambulance to SMRMC and was transported to a hospital in Hattiesburg, where she was reportedly in critical condition. The boyfriend was in stable condition at SMRMC.
Bellipanni did not identify the shooting victims.
Lawmen got a tip Webber was hiding in the woods along the railroad tracks near East Holly Street, Magnolia, Tuesday.
A search by sheriff’s deputies and Magnolia lawmen turned up nothing, but after they left, Webber surrendered to Chief Woodall, Bellipanni said.
