In the late hours of a May evening in 2016, the celebratory atmosphere of a graduation party in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, was irrevocably shattered by gunfire. Savon Dundrae Bridget, a 22-year-old man, was fatally shot amidst the large gathering near the intersection of Perry and Oakland streets. Police officers who were already present due to the size of the crowd heard the shots and discovered Bridget suffering from a gunshot wound.
Before an ambulance could navigate the chaotic scene, an individual named Markius Carpenter transported Bridget to Helena Hospital. Despite the swift action, Bridget succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The night's violence, however, did not end there. Shortly after leaving the hospital, Carpenter himself became a target in a second shooting that occurred near Kentucky and Cheerydale. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed back to the same hospital before being transferred to a medical facility in Memphis in critical condition.
In the ensuing investigation, the Helena-West Helena Police Department identified two brothers, Cordario and Jeremy 'Icky' Morant, as the primary suspects in the violent events that unfolded. Both men were subsequently apprehended. Cordario Morant faced the most severe charge of capital murder in connection with the death of Savon Bridget. Another man, Jeremy Glass, also known as 'Pee-Wee,' was arrested and charged with conspiracy and tampering with physical evidence. Authorities alleged that Glass was the driver of the vehicle from which the Morant brothers shot at Carpenter.
