On a Tuesday evening in West Memphis, Arkansas, the life of 22-year-old Demetrius Hoard was tragically cut short. Gunfire erupted at the Riverside Park Apartments on East Service Road around 8:30 p.m. on February 13, 2018. When police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Hoard suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Regional One hospital for medical attention, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he succumbed to them later that night.
The investigation into
the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect. The day after the incident, 26-year-old Carlton Barrett turned himself in to the West Memphis Police Department. Barrett was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a handgun in connection with the shooting death of Demetrius Hoard. Authorities had been actively seeking Barrett before he surrendered.
The community was left to mourn the loss of the young man, who was known to his friends and family. The motive for the shooting was not immediately released by law enforcement as they continued their investigation. The Crittenden County Crime Stoppers and the West Memphis Police Department sought information from the public to piece together the events that led to the fatal encounter at the apartment complex.
