Bond set for two murder suspects as another suspect remains at-large

Published 4:49 pm Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Two men are being held in the Warren County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond each, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Dematric Lamar Clark.

Municipal Judge Angela Carpenter set the bond for Demarcus James Qualls, 163 Kidd Lane, and Elijah Eugene Qualls Jr., 20, 60 Smallwood Drive, at an initial appearance Wednesday in Municipal Court. The men are also each charged with possession of a weapon after a felony conviction.

Elijah Qualls Jr. also faces a charge of aggravated assault in a June 22 shooting of a man on Mississippi 27 near Beechwood Elementary School that occurred in Warren County.

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Lt. Johnnie Edwards, with the Vicksburg Police Department, said police are continuing their search for Eric Clayton, who remains at large. Edwards said a warrant has been issued for Clayton’s arrest, charging him with second-degree murder.

Clark, 36, was shot at about 12:51 a.m. Saturday.

Edwards said police believe Demarcus and Elijah Qualls and Clayton were shooting at an unknown person on Fayette Street, and Clark was an innocent bystander.

“We do not believe he was the target,” Edwards said.

Officers responding to a report of shots fired in the 1100 block of Fayette Street with one person shot arrived to find Clark lying in the street in the 1200 block of Fayette with a gunshot wound to the head.

Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey pronounced him dead at the scene. Clark’s death is the second reported homicide of 2019.

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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