In the late afternoon of May 2, 2022, a heated argument outside an apartment building on Fairfield Street in Augusta, Arkansas, escalated into a fatal exchange of gunfire. The life of 27-year-old Jaquale K. Mitchell, a Black male, was cut short in the violent encounter. Witnesses reported that an argument between Mitchell and another man, 25-year-old Anfernee Neal, also of Augusta, preceded the shootout where both men fired at each other.
Tragically, Mitchell was struck during the
gunfight. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in White County but succumbed to his injuries a short time later. The incident prompted an immediate investigation led by the Arkansas State Police, with assistance from the Augusta Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies. The focus of their investigation quickly turned to locating Anfernee Neal, who was identified as the primary suspect in Mitchell's death.
Following the shooting, a search for Neal was initiated. The day after the fatal encounter, on May 3, 2022, Anfernee Neal surrendered to the Arkansas State Police. He was taken into custody and transported to the Woodruff County Jail. Neal was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Jaquale Mitchell. The investigation into the circumstances that led to the deadly confrontation continued under the purview of the Arkansas State Police's Criminal Investigation Division.
