In the small city of Wynne, Arkansas, a burst of violence on a Tuesday afternoon shattered the community's sense of peace. On April 14, 2026, just before noon, multiple 911 calls alerted the Wynne Police Department to a shooting at the intersection of C Street and Fitzhugh Circle. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered 34-year-old Javon Beal suffering from gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical personnel rushed him to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the death of the Wynne man was quickly escalated, with the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division taking the lead at the request of the local police department. Beal's body was transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory to determine the official cause and manner of death. As detectives began to piece together the events that led to the shooting, the community was left to grapple with the sudden and tragic loss of one of their own.
Within two days, the investigation led to a significant breakthrough. On the evening of Thursday, April 16, 2026, authorities located and arrested a suspect. Edward Lampkin Jr., 36, was taken into custody at the Forrest Park Cemetery in Forrest City by a team of Arkansas State Police Special Agents and members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force. Lampkin has since been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Javon Beal and is being held at the Cross County Detention Center.
