A Utica man was being held in the Warren County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bond charged with five counts of aggravated assault in the wounding of five people at a Christmas Eve shooting at L.D.’s Lounge in downtown Vicksburg.

Municipal Judge Toni Terrett set the bond for Denzell Watts, 21, 1146 Lee Davis Circle, Utica, at an initial appearance Wednesday in Vicksburg Municipal Court.

The shooting forced city officials to close the lounge area at L.D.’s indefinitely, although the business’ restaurant and catering service was allowed to remain open. The shooting remains under investigation.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said he will meet with L.D.’s owner Larry Prentiss Friday morning to discuss the incident and his security plan.

“I’m going to meet with him and I’m going to make a recommendation to the board (of Mayor and Aldermen).” he said. He said he will make the recommendation Tuesday when the board meets.

The shooting occurred about 11:58 p.m. Police responding to reports of a shooting at L.D.’s arrived to find one person who had been shot lying on the ground outside the lounge.

According to a police department press release, four other people were shot and taken to Merit Health River Region by private vehicles.

If anyone has additional information concerning the shooting at L.D.’s Restaurant and lounge, please call the Vicksburg Police Department at 601-636-2511.

In another assault case, Terrett set a $100,000 bond for Jsohn Melvin “Scooter” Ross who is charged with aggravated assault.

Ross is accused of shooting the victim in the leg at a home in the 1300 block of South Street Dec. 21 about 4 p.m. The victim told police officers responding to the shooting that Ross, who is also known as “Scooter,” shot him after the two had a confrontation inside the home in which multiple shots were fired.

In other cases:

• Heather Beard, 38, whose address was given as Van Winkle Park, Jackson, was arrested on a warrant from the U. S. Marshal’s Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

• Larry Henderson, 25, 3630 Security St., was arrested on a Warren County Sheriff’s Office warrant charging him with armed carjacking and malicious mischief.

• Antiques were reported taken Friday from Adolph Rose Antiques, 717 Clay St.