Mississippi authorities announced Friday that 12 people have been charged in connection with the Sept. 7 shooting death of Claiborne County Sheriff’s Deputy Terrian Bailey, 11 days after gunfire erupted in a convenience store parking lot in Hermanville. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said the defendants, ages 18 to 26, each face charges of first degree murder, aggravated assault, and conspiracy to commit murder.
Early Friday reports said 11 people were in custody and that 21 year old Zander Cornell Butler was being sought on the same charges. Later Friday reporting said Butler had also been arrested. Some local outlets continued to describe him as at large later in the day, and authorities had not issued a fully consistent public accounting of his custody status by late Friday.
State officials have not publicly identified which of the charged defendants are accused of firing the shots that killed Bailey and wounded a bystander. All 12 names released Friday were listed under the same three charges. Those charges remain allegations. None of the defendants has been convicted.
The people identified by MDPS are Adolphous Butler, 26; Zander Cornell Butler, 21; Demond Hunt, 19; Emanuel Jackson, 21; Jordan Lighter, 24; Yehoiada Marshall, 24; Keith Miller, 23; Marqueese Richards, 19; Eli Okonner Robinson, 19; Kearuis Stimage, 24; Alvin Truitt, 20; and Shedrick Wallace, 18. When Zander Cornell Butler was listed as wanted, MDPS described him as 5 feet 9 inches tall and 106 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Bailey, 45, was shot shortly after midnight Monday, Sept. 7, in the parking lot of Michael Dean’s Convenience Store in Hermanville, along Highway 18 in Claiborne County. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said deputies were trying to disperse a large crowd when gunshots were directed toward the crowd. Bailey was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead. A woman standing nearby was also shot and suffered injuries that authorities described as not life threatening.
The gathering followed the annual Hermanville Day festival over the Labor Day weekend. Sheriff Edward L. Goods Sr. later said Bailey was shot once in the lower body. Goods also said investigators collected several different shell casings at the scene and that witnesses reported more than one shooter.
He said multiple people fired multiple gunshots into the crowd. Deputy Dwayne Thomas, who was working with Bailey that night, later described the moment the gunfire started. Thomas said they turned to run, that he fell on top of Bailey, and that he then saw his coworker on the ground after being hit near a white Tahoe. That account, given to local television during a courthouse memorial, has received little attention outside Mississippi.
Bailey had served six years with the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Goods described him as a part time deputy who often worked full time hours, a man born and raised in the community, and a husband and father. Officials have said he is survived by his wife and four children. The Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office said he “made the ultimate sacrifice while courageously serving and protecting others.”
Governor Tate Reeves called the shooting a “senseless act of violence” that took the life of a husband, father, and hero. Claiborne County Coroner Kieon Neal identified Bailey the morning after the shooting. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation took the lead. The FBI offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest and prosecution.
For more than a week, no arrests were announced. Goods asked residents to send videos and tips to law enforcement rather than post them online, saying social media circulation could harm the case. He also said investigators were reviewing video, following Crime Stoppers leads, and working through a lot of moving parts.
The Friday arrests followed a coordinated operation involving the Hinds Metro SWAT Team, the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, including its criminal investigation, narcotics, and homeland security components, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
“Today’s arrests reflect the determination and collaboration of law enforcement at every level to pursue justice for Deputy Bailey, his family and the community he served,” MDPS Commissioner Sean Tindell said. “I am grateful to every investigator, agent, and officer who worked tirelessly on this case. We will continue working together to hold those responsible for violent crime accountable and keep Mississippians safe.”
The Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office issued its own statement Friday acknowledging the names released by MDPS and thanking local, state, and federal partners as well as residents who provided videos, tips, and other information. The office said the case remains active and that it would not release details that could compromise the investigation or a future prosecution. “We will continue working together until everyone responsible for his death is held accountable through the justice system,” the statement said.
MDPS said the investigation remains open and that the information released Friday is preliminary and subject to change. Agents said they will present their findings to the district attorney’s office when the investigation is complete. Earlier statements also said findings would be shared with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. Authorities have not said whether additional arrests are expected.
They have not released charging affidavits detailing each defendant’s alleged role. Bailey’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, at Alcorn State University in Lorman, with burial at McCaa Cemetery. Neighboring agencies were expected to cover Claiborne County patrols while local deputies attend the service. The arrests came one day before that homegoing, after 11 days in which a small county waited for names and charges that state officials had not yet been ready to announce.
