A Vicksburg woman charged in the shooting death of a Vicksburg man Wednesday is no longer in custody.

During a hearing on Friday, County Judge Marcie Southerland reduced the bond on Talisha Butler, 37, from the $500,000 that was set Thursday in Vicksburg Municipal Court to $50,000. Following the hearing, Butler posted bond and is no longer being housed in the Warren County Jail.

District Attorney Ricky Smith said his office did not oppose the bond reduction after there were “mitigating circumstances” in the case that led to the reduced bond. Smith declined to list those mitigating circumstances.

Butler is charged with the murder of Christoper Johnson, 37, of Vicksburg, Wednesday in a parking lot in the 2100 block of Clay Street.

Shortly after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, first responders were dispatched to the scene for a report of a man shot in the chest.

Vicksburg Police Chief Milton Moore said shortly after the shooting, Butler contacted authorities to report she had shot Johnson.

After Butler called 911, Moore was then contacted and met Butler, who was a passenger in a car on Washington Street. From there, she was taken to the Vicksburg Police Department, where she was interviewed and later charged with murder.

Thursday, Judge Angela Carpenter set Butler’s bond at $500,000 and bound her case over to the Warren County Grand Jury. She was then placed in the Warren County Jail

When first responders arrived at the scene, they found Johnson in the parking lot, on the ground next to a vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

While crime scene investigators and detectives worked to document the scene, members of Johnson’s family rushed to the area. At one point, a person identified as Johnson’s brother broke through the police tape surrounding the scene and had to be restrained by police officers. Later, Johnson’s mother arrived and was seen meeting with Moore.

 

Vicksburg Post staff writer John Surratt and photographer Courtland Wells contributed to this report.