Attorneys for two of the three men charged in connection with a deadly drive-by shooting last month at a McComb park said in a hearing Wednesday that their clients were acting in self-defense when they
returned fire.
A detective, however, said the violent outburst that killed a 6-year-old boy and wounded four others was rooted in ongoing disputes that have led to other shootings.
“This is going to be a gang war that’s going on,” Detective John Glapion said.
Judge Jwon Nathaniel bound the cases against Eric Spurlock Jr., 20, and Jakhyri Isaac, 17, over to the grand jury.
Spurlock is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault and was ordered held on $450,000 bond.
Nathaniel dropped a first-degree murder charge against Isaac, who was wounded in the shooting and still has a bullet in his back. He’s charged with three counts of aggravated assault. Isaac posted $200,000 bond to be released from the Pike County jail.
LaJaydon Martin, 16, who had his initial court appearance on Wednesday, also is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault. He was ordered held on $750,000 bond. His preliminary hearing is 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Detectives accuse Spurlock, Isaac and Martin of firing back at a black Dodge Charger that opened fire on the park on the afternoon of Feb. 20.
Oterious Marks, 6, was killed in the shooting.
Isaac’s attorney Aafram Sellers said his client is still suffering from the shooting.
“Because he’s alive, he gets charged for acting in self-defense,” Sellers said.
Glapion said the Dodge Charger from which the shots were fired was fleeing the scene and there was no longer a threat when Isaac allegedly shot back.
Glapion said the shooting was gang-related.
“Gang war isn’t a crime,” said Sellers in rebuttal.
Glapion said Isaac and Spurlock knew the four people allegedly in the car — Bryan Cameron, 18, Yajari Jackson, 19, Bryceon Thompson, 18, and Malik Reed, 17 — would be coming to the park.
He said last week at the preliminary hearing for those four suspects, who also are charged with murder and aggravated assault, that the shooting was retaliation for another shooting that happened months earlier at a car wash.
Glapion said the person who shot Marks was likely in the Dodge Charger. At last week’s hearing he identified Cameron and Reed as the gunmen in the car.
Sellers said Isaac was playing basketball when gunfire started.
“If someone was shot at, they have the right to shoot back,” Sellers said.
Glapion said 15 to 20 people were on the basketball court and acknowledged Isaac had the right to defend himself.
He said witnesses told him they saw Spurlock “shooting back at the car as they were passing the basketball court.”
So far, Glapion said he has talked to 14 witnesses, including one who has since received threats, and the investigation is ongoing.
Terris C. Harris, an attorney for Spurlock, presented a different argument.
“If he was a different skin (color), he would be a hero,” Harris said.
“I disagree,” Glapion said, adding he believed Spurlock knew ahead of time the four in the car would be causing trouble at the park.
Glapion said officers found .223-caliber and 9mm shell casings in the street after the shooting.
“There were no casings found on the basketball court where Mr. Spurlock was playing,” he said.
