A Winona man has been charged with first degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a Kilmichael man Friday evening.
According to Montgomery County Coroner Allan Pratt, the Montgomery County Emergency Operations Center received a call at 8:43 p.m. on Friday, April 27 reporting that a man was shot in the parking lot of the former Kilmichael One Stop, located at 502 Rutherford Avenue in Kilmichael.
When Pratt, who also serves as a Kilmichael police officer, and Kilmichael Chief of Police David Eldridge arrived at the scene, they found Joseph Purnell, 38, of Kilmichael lying in the parking lot. Pratt said Purnell was pronounced dead at the scene.
Pratt said he transported Purnell to the Mississippi Forensic Lab in Pearl for an autopsy.
Minutes after the first 911 call, the Montgomery County Emergency Operations Center received a call reporting that another subject was shot in the hand and was being taken to the emergency room at Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital by private vehicle.
David Maurice Johnson, 42, of Winona was treated at Tyler Holmes before taken into police custody and charged with murder.
According to Chief of Police David Eldridge, the shooting occurred during a child visitation exchange. He said Purnell was shot in the upper abdomen.
Eldridge said it appeared that only one bullet was fired during the altercation. A .38 caliber handgun was found at the scene.
Johnson appeared before Montgomery County Justice Court Judge Larry Bamberg Sunday morning and bond was set at $250,000. He is currently being held at the Carroll Montgomery Regional Correctional Facility in Vaiden.
A preliminary hearing for Johnson is scheduled for May 22 in Montgomery County Justice Court.
Eldridge said the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is leading up the investigation and are being assisted by the Kilmichael Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department.
The Winona Police Department assisted Kilmichael police at Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital.
