City records fifth murder over weekend
Victims involved in previous incidents
One Forrest City man was killed and another is in a Memphis hospital after a shooting overnight Friday in the Beech Grove neighborhood.
Akira Brandon Norris, 38, 716 Laughrun Dr., was killed and Romero Barber, 30, 903 Smith St., was injured, according to officials at the Forrest City Police Department.
Norris’s death is the city’s fifth homicide this year. Numerous shootings have also been reported during the first five months of the year, with several individuals injured.
The most recent shooting was reported about 1:50 a.m., Saturday, outside Norris’s home, according to the police report. When officers arrived, they found Norris and Barber lying in the street with gunshot wounds.
Both were taken by ambulance to Forrest City Medical Center. Barber was transferred to Regional One Medical Center in Memphis where he is listed in fair condition today.
This morning, Mayor Cedric Williams issued a press release referring to “another weekend of senseless shootings” and saying “enough is enough.”
Online court records show Norris and Barber each had cases pending in St. Francis County Circuit Court from previous violent incidents.
Barber, according to the records, has charges of firstdegree murder and engaging in contact with a criminal gang pending in St. Francis County Circuit Court.
He is accused in the death of Everett Williams, 41, who died from his injuries after being shot near the Fina Gas Station in November 2021.
Norris had first-degree battery, engaging in violent group activity, aggravated assault, two counts of firstdegree endangering the welfare of a minor, possession of firearms by certain persons and habitual offender charges pending in circuit court.
Those charges stemmed from an incident in April 4, 2021, outside a convenience store on West Broadway. Police reported
at the time that Barber was shot by his son, Jaqwan Brandon Norris, 19, while they, along with two others, reportedly assaulted a man outside the store.
According to circuit court records, over 20 cases had been filed in circuit court against Akira Brandon Norris since 2000 for charges such as first-degree battery, along with drugs, thefts, firearms, aggravated assaults and traffic violations.
In the majority of the cases, charges were either nolle prosequi or Norris received suspended impositions of sentences.
He was sentenced to prison in one case. Court records show that in 2015 he was sentenced to five years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for theft of property over $5,000 but less than $25,000 with a five-year SIS to be imposed upon his release from prison.
“My heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have been recently affected by senseless gun violence in our community,” said Williams. “Unfortunately, this is a nationwide problem that is showing its ugly head here in our community. As a city, we will continue to commit resources to combat the problems locally and bring those to justice that commit these crimes.
A special thank you to St Francis County Sheriff’s Department and the Arkansas State Police for their assistance in increased patrols,” continued Williams. “I’m calling on all our parents, community leaders, churches and civic organizations to continue to preach and teach that guns are not the answer to conflict among one another.
“Thank you to all of those that join with me and my family for continued prayers for our city,” said Williams. “Too many children have lost their fathers, too many mothers have lost their sons. Please put the guns down and let’s get back to what our Forrest City community is about – love, peace and unity among each other.”