Vicksburg police officers gather this morning at the Cherry Street site of where the body Glen Evans of Vicksburg was found.(The Vicksburg Post/C. TODD SHERMAN)

[01/29/02]A Vicksburg man was found dead this morning on a sidewalk near a convenience store that has been targeted by the city for improvements due to violence in the area.

Warren County Coroner John Thomason identified the dead man as Glen Evans, about 29 years old.

Thomason said Evans, whose body was picked up from the sidewalk along Cherry Street in front of Ernest Thomas Realty, 1209 Cherry St., by Mississippi Mortuary Services for an autopsy later today or Wednesday, was found with a head wound and a lot of scratch marks on the face. The cause of death was not known, Thomason said.

The coroner said the head wound was very small, and that Evans could have died from a small-caliber bullet or other severe trauma to the head.

Police spokesman Jamee Carter said two men walked into the convenience store, Fastway, 1217 Cherry St., at Clay Street, and reported the man on the sidewalk. E911 was notified from the convenience store at 6:23.

The store, known as The Smoke Break until August, became a source of city action during the summer after 38-year-old Eddie Baker was shot and killed nearby.

Mayor Laurence Leyens pushed for changes at the shop that were made, including removal of alcohol advertisements, adding security guards and a name change. Records show E911 calls from the site down two-thirds from an 18-month period that ended Aug. 9.

This morning, Leyens said he was again looking at what action he might take against the business.

“This has become a top priority for this administration,” Leyens said. “We can’t allow this type of activity to occur, but we need to have the facts first. We may file for an injunction to shut this business down if there is any connection between this event” and other things that have happened.

The city has used a nuisance law to close businesses before. Under that ordinance, if a business is deemed to have “obnoxious activities,” a judge may shut it down.

Under the previous administration of former Mayor Robert Walker, court action was taken to shut down Coach’s and T-Rel’s, both night clubs on Washington Street, after multiple complaints from other business owners in the area.

The store’s operator, Jamal Khouri, made a commitment to city officials that steps would be taken to make the business safer after the June 28 shooting of Stephen Bailey in the parking lot of the business.

Bailey, 1206 China St., was shot once in the back after fighting with another man inside the store. He was released from ParkView Regional Medical Center several days later.

Less than a year ago Bobby Pinkney was beaten with a metal pipe in the parking lot of the store. Pinkney, who was 37, died Aug. 27, one day after being beaten.

Khouri said this morning that Evans’ death had nothing to do with his business. The building and the property are owned by Ernest Thomas, who owns and operates the real estate office next door.

Thomas could not be reached for comment.