Utica man facing 5 counts of aggravated assault in L.D.’s shooting

Published 8:51 pm Tuesday, August 14, 2018

A Utica man has been indicted on five counts of aggravated assault-extreme indifference in a Christmas Eve shooting at L.D.’s Lounge.

A Warren County grand jury handed down the indictment against Denzell Lee Watts, 22, 1496 Lee S. Davis Circle, Utica. He is accused of wounding five people during the shooting. The incident resulted in the city closing the lounge for several days while city officials met with L.D.’s owner Larry Prentiss to discuss the incident and his security plan.

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L.D.’s restaurant and catering service remained open during this time, and the lounge was reopened after Prentiss submitted a security plan for the business.

The shooting occurred about 11:58 p.m. Dec. 24, 2017. 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 reports, the four other people shot were taken to Merit Health River Region by private vehicles.

In another case, Austin Marshall Terrell, 22, 4924 Gibson Road, was indicted on a charge of attempted murder.

Terrell is accused of shooting a 14-year-old multiple times June 13, on Pearl Street. Vicksburg Police officers responding to a call of a shooting where they found the victim shot multiple times.

Other indictments included:

• Willie Montrell Clark, 19, 311 B Arondale Drive, Jackson; armed robbery in the Sept. 10 robbery of the Dollar General Store, 2203 Clay St.

• Devonte Donnell “Swag” Shinall, 22, 210 Buena Vista Drive, and Rashard Dashun “Trap” Bell, 26, 5409 Gibson Road; armed robbery.

• Ricky Turner, 21, 520 Berryman Road Lot 67; statutory rape of a victim age 14 or 15.

Oscar McNeil, 21, no address given, sale of a controlled substance-methamphetamine.

• Justin Lucas, 26, 125 Kirkland Road, possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine.

• Nicholas Muffuletto, 27, 2427 Cherry St.; possession of a controlled substance- methamphetamine.

• Amanda Aucoin, 34, 7111 West Greene St., Bay St. Louis; possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine.

• Cortez Keion Harris, 26, 712 speed St.; possession of a weapon after felony conviction.

• Justin Ballard, 26, 102 Ballard Lane; possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine.

• Richard Anthony Courtier, 28, 127 B Clear Creek; two indictments for burglary of a dwelling and an indictment for possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine.

• Cara Helen Gray, 37, 119 Trailwood Drive; burglary of a dwelling.

• Adolph Carson, 43, 106 Kelly Circle Apt. A; vehicle burglary.

• Brittney Bost, 23, 6325 Jeff Davis Road, and Brandon McDaniel, 26, 1267 Lyndale Road, Rolling Fork; two counts of burglary of a church, one count of malicious mischief, and three counts of non-residential burglary.

• Sean Gibbs, 31, 1717 Court St.; possession of a controlled substance-cocaine.

• Jessica Harris, 37, 902 Blossom Lane; nine counts of fraudulent statements and representations involving information on state income tax returns, and one count of computer fraud.

• Gregory Maurice Ross, 36, 101 Brandi Lane, 13 counts of fraudulent statements and representations involving information on state income tax returns, and one count of computer fraud.

• Larry R. Stockton, 41, 108 Fairy Lane; simple assault on a law enforcement officer.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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