CLARKSDALE, Miss. — Two people including a 7-year-old boy were killed in separate shootings Monday across Clarksdale, Mississippi, police said.
Police responded at 5 p.m. to a shooting in the 900 block of Grant Street. They said two victims later showed up at a Clarksdale hospital.
One of those victims, age 7, died from his injuries, police said. A 28-year-old man also was injured.
A family member of the boy identified him as Cartravious Brown, Jr. She said he was a second grader at Clarksdale Collegiate Academy. Police did not officially identify him.
Ahmed Moggali, who runs the Tiger Mart on State Street in Clarksdale, said he considered the child and his family as more than just customers.
“CJ…he’s a baby, like seven years old and people kill him for no reason,” Moggali said. “He come in almost every three days with mother and little baby sister too.”
Investigators said several unknown male suspects are believed to responsible for the shooting, but no arrests had been made Tuesday afternoon.
Police also responded to a shooting at 2 p.m. near Roosevelt and Grant streets. Two people from that scene showed up at a Clarksdale hospital with gunshot wounds.
Walter Morris, 23, was killed. A 19-year-old woman who police did not identify was injured.
From a few houses away, Lucy Dotson heard the barrage of gunfire that killed her nephew.
“He was a loving, kind person. Anything you asked him to do…whatever he was doing…he would stop to help you,” she said.
Dotson says she doesn’t know or understand why her nephew was murdered, but believes it’s past time for something to be done about the violent crime in Clarksdale.
“It’s not even safe for us to be in our own house. Anytime that you can’t be safe in your own house, something needs to be done,” she said.
Taakaius Conrad Jr, a 21 year-old black male, has been charged for one count of Murder and one count of Drive by Shooting.
Clarksdale Police asked anyone with information on the crimes to call 662-621-8152 and ask to speak to someone in the investigative division, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-827-4637.