A Sharkey community man is charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of another just before midnight Tuesday night, May 14.
Melvin Lee, 36, of 1493 Clarence Richardson Road, is being held on a $500,000 bond for his alleged role in the shooting death of Charles Westbrooks, 49, of 1605 Swan Lake Road, according to Tallahatchie County Sheriff Jimmy Fly.
Both men lived in the Sharkey community, the sheriff noted.
Officials were notified of the shooting by a 911 call to the Tallahatchie County Jail in Sumner at 11:34 p.m., said Fly.
Responding units found the body and Lee at the scene, the parking lot of Westbrooks Grocery on west Sharkey Road. Lee was taken in for questioning and was formally charged Wednesday afternoon, the sheriff added.
The sheriff said he was uncertain of the relationship, if any, between victim Westbrooks and the owners of Westbrooks Grocery, which was closed when the shooting occurred.
Westbrooks was shot “multiple times” and died at the scene, Fly said.
“We have found a firearm that was believed to be used and multiple shell casings of the same caliber,” he stated.
Fly said the gun was a .300 blackout firearm, adding, “We collected 13 empty blackout shell casings and one live round that ejected onto the ground.”
The sheriff said investigators have spoken with "possible witnesses."
As for a motive, Fly noted, "I really can't say just yet. ... It’s still early in the investigation.”
Tallahatchie County Coroner Anthony Hawkins said Wednesday morning that the body of Westbrook "is headed to autopsy."
