In the early morning hours of an August Sunday in Vicksburg, Mississippi, a dispute at a gas station escalated into gunfire, ending the life of 22-year-old Jerome Rankin. The 2016 shooting also left three other individuals wounded and set in motion a murder investigation that would lead to the arrests of four men.
The incident unfolded around 12:41 a.m. on August 7 at a Corner Store gas station located on Clay Street. An argument that began inside the store spilled out into the parking lot, where the confrontation turned deadly. Rankin suffered a fatal gunshot wound, and three others were injured in the melee. Responding Vicksburg police officers found a chaotic scene and immediately began to piece together the events that led to the shooting.
Within days, the investigation pointed to four suspects. The first to be taken into custody was Arnold Dewayne Harris Jr., who was 22 years old at the time. He was arrested at his home and charged with one count of murder and three counts of aggravated assault. His initial court appearance saw his bond set at a steep $4 million by Judge Toni Terrett. Shortly after Harris's arrest, two more suspects were apprehended. Melvin Wiggins, then 26, and 17-year-old Jamarion Jones were also charged with the same offenses and received the same $4 million bond.
The final suspect, Leon Younger, who was 21 at the time, was arrested a few days later, bringing the total number of individuals charged in connection with the death of Jerome Rankin and the injury of three others to four. Like his co-defendants, Younger faced a charge of murder and three counts of aggravated assault, with his bond also set at $4 million. The investigation suggested the shooting was the result of an ongoing dispute between two groups of individuals.
Following the arrests, the four men were bound over to the Warren County grand jury. The subsequent legal proceedings moved through the court system. Ultimately, Leon Younger, Arnold Dewayne Harris Jr., and Jamarion Jones all pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Each received a 20-year prison sentence for their role in the death of Jerome Rankin. Melvin Wiggins, the fourth individual charged, also pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
