YAZOO CITY, Miss. (WLBT) – Escalating violent crimes in Yazoo City are resulting in join raids with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
The agents are assisting with the police department’s response to rival gangs terrorizing the city.
One of the weapons confiscated in a recent bust by Yazoo City Police and MBN agents was a rifle reconfigured from semi-automatic to fully-automatic.
“Most of these are juveniles. I found a pistol right beside the basketball goal,” said Yazoo City Police Chief Kenneth Hampton. “It’s like they’re preparing for war.”
The raid on a mobile home on Ethel Street netted AR 15s, an AK 47, pistols, 200 grams of marijuana, crack, ecstasy pills and more than $4,000.00. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics assisted Yazoo PD which is dealing with a number of recent shootings into several different homes.
Investigators said East Side and West Side gangs are responsible for the violence.
“The people that we think are doing some of the shootings those are the ones that we hit Tuesday, and then we still have a long ways to go,” said Hampton. “We have about another four targets.
Six people were arrested including two juveniles. Twenty-five-year-old Takeanu Johnson and 26-year-old David Richardson, both convicted felons, are charged with possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and Possession of crack cocaine with intent.
Tylrec Sawyer Moore, 23, is charged with possession of a stolen fire arm.
“I had to run from my state. I’m in a totally different state,” said Myra Mason.
Friday night, the 65-year-old disabled Air Force veteran was in her Grady Avenue home when gunfire erupted. Police found 18 rounds from an assault rifle.
“They said that I shouldn’t be living on the east side. I thought I could live wherever I want to,” said Mason. “They say they don’t want me on the east side, and if they can’t kill my son they’re gonna kill me. That’s why they shot my bedroom up while I was sleeping.”
Chief Hampton plans roadblocks and future raids with MBN and the U.S. Marshals.
Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Copyright 2023 WLBT. All rights reserved.
