In the early hours of a Saturday morning, the sounds of a party at a rural grocery store near Batesville, Mississippi, were shattered by gunfire, leaving two men dead in what authorities described as an ambush-style shooting. Rodrick Scurlock, a 24-year-old male, was killed on September 20, 2014, in the violent encounter at Hilltop Grocery. The incident, which also claimed the life of 20-year-old Quendez Robinson, unfolded around 1 a.m. at the store located in the Curtis Station community.
Scurlock was pronounced dead at the scene, while Robinson succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a local medical center.
The shooting was believed to be the result of a confrontation between two rival gangs. Panola County Sheriff Dennis Darby stated that an altercation that began inside the grocery store, where a party was in progress, escalated dramatically when the victims went outside. Investigators believed that once outside, Scurlock and Robinson were ambushed and shot. At least two other individuals were wounded in the attack but were expected to recover. Authorities also received information about a possible fifth person, a woman, who may have been grazed by a bullet, though this was not officially confirmed.
Witnesses in the vicinity of the Hilltop Grocery reported hearing a rapid succession of numerous gunshots. The parking lot was reportedly full of cars for the gathering at the store. In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement officials began questioning several individuals, and the investigation focused heavily on the gang-related nature of the conflict.
Despite the questioning of multiple suspects and the numerous people present at the party, the investigation into the murders of Rodrick Scurlock and Quendez Robinson stalled. By the end of 2014, no arrests had been made in connection with the double homicide, and the case was numbered among the year's unsolved murders in Panola County. The community was left seeking answers and justice for the violent deaths of the two young men. Based on available online sources, the case remains unsolved.
