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Homicides beat yearly average in Woodville, Mississippi in less than two months
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WOODVILLE, Miss. - Woodville, Mississippi typically has only two to three homicides a year. Over the past two months, there have been four.
Woodville Police Chief Lemuel Rutledge says two of the four homicides since April 26 are related. He blames drugs and social media for the surge in lethal violence.
"Very tragic. We are trying to get an understanding on what we can do, how we can do it. We're trying to reach out to them to find out what is the problem, how can we reduce this and how can we put an end to it," Rutledge said.
A 15-year-old was found dead in the back of a car on May 25. The victim's aunt Jacqueline Hampton-Alexander says her nephew considered his 21-year-old accused killer a friend.
"This has been a quiet town. We didn't have this stuff going on and I mean it just tears my soul to pieces. People, we are hurting out here," Alexander said.
Three of the fatal shootings have been solved. One has not. Rutledge urges citizens to come forward with what they know. However, Alexander says speaking up can cost your life.
"They're doing a lot of retaliation around here. If you speak on business and they think you shouldn't then they shooting up your houses and stuff like that," Alexander said.
Rutledge said it's difficult for his department to handle this level of violence. The Woodville Police Department has five officers, including the chief. One officer works each shift.
Rutledge said he would like a larger budget that would allow for more officers.
"We do understand that the town does not generate enough revenue to employ five to six officers at a time to cover each shift," Rutledge said.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Woodville Police Department or Crime Stoppers (888) 755-8810.
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