On the night of February 17, 2020, a violent incident occurred at a popular off-campus gathering spot known as "The Ark," located approximately 13 miles north of Alcorn State University in Claiborne County, Mississippi. During a bonfire event at the venue near Highway 61, gunfire erupted, striking four individuals. Among the victims was James Carr, a 22-year-old Black male student from Itta Bena, Mississippi, who sustained critical injuries during the chaos.
Emergency responders transported the wounded to a local hospital, but the severity of the injuries proved fatal for two of the students. Carr and 19-year-old Tahir Fitzhugh, a fellow student from Pennsylvania, both died as a result of the shooting. Two other individuals were injured but survived the attack. The tragic loss of the two young scholars prompted the university to institute a temporary lockdown and deeply impacted the campus community, leading to vigils and counseling services for grieving students and staff.
Law enforcement officers from the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation launched an inquiry into the violence. Authorities quickly identified a suspect, Jerrell Davis, who was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of murder and aggravated assault. The investigation also led to charges against three other men—Carlton Hall, Damious Madison, and Vontavious Green—who were accused of being accessories after the fact in connection with the double homicide.
The legal proceedings against the primary suspect continued for several years following the tragedy. In December 2025, nearly six years after the shooting, Jerrell Davis appeared in court and entered a guilty plea to two counts of imperfect self-defense manslaughter. A judge sentenced Davis to 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 15 years to serve and credit given for time already served in detention.
