A Warren County man was dead Friday night and another was apprehended after an apparent gang-related homicide at a Vicksburg motel.

Richard May Jr., 34, was fatally shot inside Battlefield Inn, 4137 N. Frontage Road, around 9:11 p.m. Friday, Coroner Doug Huskey said.

Huskey said May died of a gunshot wound somewhere in the abdomen area, but he will not know the exact wound location or number of shots until the autopsy is completed.

Huskey said he was not called until 10:54 p.m. because they were still searching for the suspect.

“They were waiting to make sure the area was secure I guess,” Huskey said.

Around 1:30 a.m., the Vicksburg Police Department arrested Jimmy Dale Reid in the fatal shooting, Vicksburg Police Chief Walter Armstrong said.

Reid was located by VPD on the backside of the hotel near the wood line.

“He had been struck once or twice in the arm with what we believe was a small caliber weapon,” Armstrong said.

His injuries were not life-threating. He was arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment before being transported to the Madison County Jail.

Reid had just been released from prison on Monday, Armstrong said.

Mississippi Department of Corrections records show Reid is on parole for two counts of fleeing a law enforcement officer.

“He’s spent an excessive amount of time in the penitentiary,” Armstrong said.

Reid will go before a judge on Monday for an initial hearing, Armstrong said.

Armstrong also said May had served time for crystal methamphetamine and other charges.

The two men and several others were apparently arguing in a hotel room in the almost vacant motel Friday. The exact motive of the shooting was unclear Saturday.

“It looked like all parties were acquaintances of each other. They all know each other. It wasn’t a random act,” Armstrong said. “These individuals had a long standing relationship with one another.”

At least some of the people involved in the fight and subsequent shooting are believed to members of the Simon City Royals, Armstrong said.

“We haven’t determined exactly who was part of Simon City Royals,” Armstrong said.

People involved in the arguments had rented two motel rooms, one to stay in and one to manufacture and/or sell crystal methamphetamine, Armstrong said.

“What looked like was taking place was the precursors to make the meth. It was all the precursors that was there that you use in order to make meth,” Armstrong said.

He said officers did find a small amount of marijuana.

“We are not very clear at this moment as to who rented the rooms,” Armstrong said. “That’s part of the investigation that is ongoing now.”

Other people of interest who were there at the time of the shooting are still being interviewed.

Two weapons were recovered, but they are still not sure whether those weapons were used in the shooting, Armstrong said. The weapons will be sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab for processing.

Even though no motive has been discovered, Armstrong said the outcome is never good when drugs and gangs are involved.

“Something led to a verbal and possibly physical altercation that ended with shootings,” Armstrong said. “We believe both the victim and the suspect were both shooting. We have not determined whether or not there was anyone else shooting.”

Armstrong said anyone with additional information should call the VPD at 601-636-2511.

The homicide is the sixth reported this year in Vicksburg. The first homicide reported in Warren County was Saturday in a mobile home park on the 600 block of Standard Hill Road where an adult male was found deceased in the driveway.

Warren County Sherriff Martin Pace said he is not going to speculate whether the shooting Saturday was related to the shooting Friday night.

“I will tell you my investigators have been in contact with the Vicksburg Police Department investigators concerning the situation last night,” Pace said.

 

Josh Edwards also contributed to this report.