In the late summer of 2018, the community of West Point, Mississippi, was shaken by the violent and untimely death of one of its own. Aaron L. Fenton, a 26-year-old Black man, was fatally shot on Sunday, August 19, 2018. The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. at the corner of Fifth Street and Progress Street. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they discovered Fenton suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was transported to the North Mississippi Medical Center in West Point, where he was pronounced dead.
Born on August 6, 1992, in Lowndes County to LaBaron L. Fenton and LaTrenda D. Moore Fenton, Aaron was a truck driver by trade. He was a father to two children, a son and a daughter, and a brother to two brothers. His body was sent to the state crime lab in Jackson for an autopsy to aid in the investigation. Funeral services were later held at Charity Mission Full Gospel Baptist Church in Crawford, followed by his burial.
In the days following the shooting, the West Point Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Avery Cook, identified 27-year-old Brian Bowens as a suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest. For weeks, Bowens remained at large, though it was later stated he never left West Point. After promising to surrender on two prior occasions, Bowens finally turned himself in to authorities.
Brian Bowens was subsequently charged with the murder of Aaron Fenton. During his initial court appearance, he claimed the shooting was an act of self-defense. Citing the severity of the charge and the fact that Bowens had been on the run for several weeks, the municipal judge denied him bail. At the time of his arrest, Bowens was also facing the potential revocation of his probation from previous drug convictions.
