A simmering dispute erupted into deadly violence on a street in Jackson, Mississippi, claiming the life of 26-year-old Alexis Burkhart. On March 14, 2017, Burkhart was inside a home on Paden Street when a drive-by shooting occurred. She was struck in the upper torso by a bullet fired from a passing vehicle and succumbed to her injuries at the scene. The investigation into her death revealed a turbulent backstory that indicated she was not the intended target of the violence that ended her life.
Earlier that day, a disturbance had taken place at the residence involving Evelyn Powell, who had a prior dating affiliation with someone at the house. Following this initial confrontation, Powell left the scene. She later returned, accompanied by Calvin Welch Jr. and Keeunna Welch. Shots were fired into the home from their vehicle, and it was during this volley of gunfire that Alexis Burkhart was fatally wounded. The shooting was not a random act of violence but rather the tragic culmination of the earlier dispute.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Jackson Police Department moved swiftly to identify and apprehend those responsible. Their investigation led to the arrests of all three individuals believed to be involved in the incident. Evelyn Powell, then 27, was arrested and charged with murder and shooting into an occupied dwelling. Keeunna Welch, 21, surrendered to the police and faced the same charges. The third suspect, 32-year-old Calvin Welch Jr., was apprehended by U.S. Marshals and also charged with murder and shooting into an occupied dwelling. His bond was set at $1 million for the murder charge and an additional $25,000 for the second charge, reflecting the gravity of the crime. The subsequent legal proceedings and the final outcome of the charges against the three suspects are not detailed in the available online sources.
