On the night of Saturday, April 11, 2026, a horse show in the Wall Hill area of Byhalia, Mississippi, turned tragic, ending in the death of 56-year-old Gary Poplar Sr. The event, held on private property, was shattered by gunfire between 10:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. When deputies and medics arrived at the scene, they found Poplar, a resident of Benton County, deceased.
Investigations by the Marshall County Sheriff's office revealed that Poplar had been involved in a verbal altercation with another man at the event shortly before the shooting. That man was identified as 52-year-old Milton Lashon Burton of Byhalia. In a surprising turn, Burton turned himself in to the Marshall County Jail a short time after the incident on Sunday.
Burton was subsequently charged with murder in connection with the death of Gary Poplar Sr. Following his arrest, he was arraigned in justice court. His bond was set at $500,000, which he posted, leading to his release from custody. The investigation into the shooting was handled by the Marshall County Sheriff's office and the Violent Crimes Task Force. This incident was one of three separate shootings that occurred in Marshall County over that same weekend.
