FCity records eighth murder over weekend

Victim able to identify assailant

A Forrest City man walked about two blocks after being shot Saturday evening before collapsing in the yard of a resident who notified police.

Everett Williams, 41, 404 Laughrun Dr., became the city’s eighth murder victim after he later died from his injuries at Regional One Medical Center in Memphis, according to officials at the Forrest City Police Department.

According to the report, the police department received calls regarding shots being fired near the Fina Gas Station about 6:30 p.m. A short time later, the department received a call that a gunshot victim was walking on Tennessee toward Izard Street.

Responding officers found Williams lying on the front lawn of a residence at the intersection of Tennessee and Izard, with bullet wounds through his abdomen and right hand. While waiting for EMS to arrive, officers began talking to Williams and applying pressure to his wounds in an effort to keep him conscious, asking if he knew who shot him. Williams told police he did not know the actual identity of the alleged assailant, but provided them with the suspect’s nickname.

During the investigation, officers viewed video footage from the convenience store at the intersection of North Washington and Mississippi streets.

The video, according to police, shows Williams approaching the store when a dark colored SUV or van pulled in front of the business. A short time later, the video shows Everett approached the vehicle then walked away out of view of the camera to the southeast of the property. A short time later, after leaving the camera’s view, Williams returns with “red on his shirt as if he had been shot,” police said. The video shows Williams enter the store, “clearly injured and bleeding severely.” According to police, the video shows a cashier hand Williams a plastic bag for him to use to attempt to stop the bleeding, “then sends him out of the store.”

Police followed the trail of blood that appeared to lead from the parking lot, just south of the convenience store, into the store. The trail then went from the “gas station to double back to the original scene” before continuing to Tennessee Street then North Izard where he collapsed. On Tennessee, officers found a small plastic bag covered in blood that they believe was used by Williams as a makeshift bandage.

The murder is the first recorded in the city since June, when two people were killed within a one-week span.

Forrest City Police Chief Deon Lee said arrests have been made so far in five of the city’s eight murders and said investigators are close to solving the other cases.