In the late hours of a Monday night in February 2020, tragedy struck the community of Port Gibson, Mississippi, forever altering the lives of several Alcorn State University students. Nineteen-year-old Tahir Fitzhugh, a male student at the university, was caught in a burst of gunfire at a social gathering. The event, an off-campus affair for musicians, was being held at a venue known as The Ark, situated about 13 miles north of the Alcorn State campus.
The shooting, which occurred on
February 17, 2020, resulted in the deaths of Fitzhugh and another student, 22-year-old James Carr. Two other students were also injured in the incident but survived. First responders were called to the scene off Highway 61 just before midnight, where they found multiple gunshot victims. Fitzhugh and Carr were transported to a local medical center, but both ultimately succumbed to their injuries. The university was left to mourn the loss of two of its own, a sentiment echoed by the Alcorn President, who described the campus as a family deeply affected by the loss.
The investigation that followed the deadly shooting led to the identification and arrest of a primary suspect. Jerrell Davis was taken into custody and faced two counts of murder for the deaths of Fitzhugh and Carr. His bond was initially set at $2 million. In September 2023, Davis pleaded guilty to two counts of 'Imperfect Self-Defense Manslaughter.' A judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison, with 15 years to serve, for both counts to run concurrently, and he was given credit for time already served.
In addition to Davis, three other men were arrested in connection with the shooting. Carlton Hall, 21, along with 20-year-olds Damious Madison and Vontavious Green, were all charged as accessories after the fact to murder. The Claiborne County Sheriff's Office took the three men into custody as the investigation into the tragic deaths of the two students continued to unfold.
