A Monticello man has been jailed in a shooting that wounded two men Tuesday night and led to the lockdown of Lawrence County High School as police continued their investigation the following morning.
Demarcus A. Pittman, 22, 60 Mount Olive Road, was being held without bond in the county jail on two counts of aggravated assault and shooting into a motor vehicle, Police Chief David Stanley said.
Pittman is accused of shooting Jabraun Smith, 21, and Kenan Madison, 18.
He said Smith and Madison were traveling in a Hyundai Sonata on Broad Street near Highway 184 when they turned off on a side street near the Family Dollar department store around 6:30.
Pittman allegedly opened fire on the two men, hitting Smith once in his thigh and Madison multiple times in the torso.
Smith was transported to the Lawrence County Hospital and Madison was airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he was in critical condition Wednesday after undergoing extensive surgery. Stanley said he was unsure of Smith’s condition.
The incident occurred after an argument between the men escalated, Stanley said, although he was unsure what the dispute was about.
Stanley said police are still trying to determine a motive, but stressed, “This was not a random act.”
“They were probably targeted,” he said.
On Wednesday morning, police and the resource officer at Lawrence County High School put the campus on lockdown as lawmen looked for a person of interest who is a student at the school. No students were charged.
“There was no specific threats of anything occurring,” Stanley said.
Stanley said the lockdown was lifted at 9:15 a.m.
