In the autumn of 2022, a violent outburst in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, claimed the life of 48-year-old Ricardo Hollingsworth and another individual, leaving a community in shock. The incident unfolded on the evening of Wednesday, November 2, at an apartment complex on West 7th Street. Hollingsworth, a male resident of Hattiesburg, suffered fatal gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Alongside him, 57-year-old Sherry Strickland also lost her life in the tragic shooting, which additionally resulted in injuries to three other people.
The Hattiesburg Police Department swiftly launched an investigation into the deadly shooting. Within days, their efforts led to the identification and apprehension of two suspects. The first to be taken into custody was 19-year-old Eric M. Williams Jr., who was arrested on November 4, 2022. Following his arrest, Williams faced serious charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault, reflecting the devastating impact of the evening's violence. He was subsequently booked into the Forrest County Jail.
The investigation continued to progress, and a second suspect, 19-year-old Treddis R. Brooks, was arrested on November 7, 2022. Brooks faced the same severe charges as Williams: two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault, for his alleged role in the deaths of Hollingsworth and Strickland and the injuries sustained by the other victims. Like Williams, Brooks was also incarcerated at the Forrest County Jail.
In the aftermath of the arrests, the cases against both Eric M. Williams Jr. and Treddis R. Brooks began to move through the judicial system. In February 2023, the Forrest-Perry County District Attorney’s Office presented the cases to a grand jury. The grand jury returned indictments against both men on the charges of two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault, signaling the start of what is anticipated to be a lengthy legal process to bring closure to the families of Ricardo Hollingsworth and Sherry Strickland.
