Shooting kills man; 1 arrested in NLR

Police stay mum on victim, suspect

A man is dead and another person is in custody after a shooting Monday afternoon in North Little Rock’s Park Hill neighborhood, according to police.

Officers responded to a “suspicious circumstance” report in the 300 block of East C Avenue at about 4:15 p.m., a news release from the North Little Rock Police Department states. Police said they found a man suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim’s name wasn’t immediately released.

While a suspect in the killing has been taken into custody, police spokeswoman Sgt. Carmen Helton said she hadn’t yet been advised by detectives of his charges. Helton declined to name the suspect or specify whether he was an adult.

The investigation into the homicide is ongoing, according to police.

As patrol cars blocked off the surrounding area, including the parking lot of nearby Park Hill Baptist Church, 201 E. C Ave., volunteers in yellow vests directed people attending a visitation at the church to parking elsewhere. One volunteer said several church members scrambled to get there to guide traffic and ensure that the visitation went smoothly.

Mark Dewbre, executive pastor at the church, said the police had done a “great job” ensuring the safety of those who were there.

He described the homicide as an “anomaly” in what is otherwise a peaceful neighborhood. He said he didn’t envision his church making any changes to its policies despite the killing.

“This is a one-off situation,” he said.

Julie McPherson, 63, who also lives in the area, agreed that the sight of so many patrol cars was unusual for Park Hill.

“You think up here, it’s quiet,” she said.

McPherson has lived in the community for nearly four decades and has gotten to know many of her neighbors. She said that during all that time, she couldn’t remember “anything like that here.”

“It’s this world we live in,” she said. “It’s terrible.”