Father and son arrested for shootout in Bovina convenience store parking lot

Published 6:07 pm Friday, September 9, 2022

A father and son have been arrested after they allegedly exchanged gunfire in a convenience store parking lot in Bovina late Sunday night.

Warren County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a business located in the 400 block of Tiffentown Road in the Bovina community to investigate a report of shots fired at about 10:20 p.m. on Sunday.

When units arrived on the scene, witnesses stated that the occupants of a black Jeep and a white pickup truck exchanged gunfire in the parking lot while the business was open and customers were present. An occupied vehicle in the parking lot, unrelated to the encounter, was struck by a bullet. No injuries were reported.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Sheriff’s office personnel were able to identify the parties involved, including John Franklin Chambers Sr., 61 of Warren County, who was driving the white pickup truck.

At approximately 11:40 p.m. that same day, Lieutenant Silento McMorris and Sheriff Martin Pace arrested Chambers at his residence on C.J. Fisher Drive. A 12-gauge shotgun was recovered at the time of the arrest, which is believed to be the one used during the father-son shootout.

The other suspect, John Franklin Chambers Jr., 34 of Grand Prairie, Texas, is the son of the first apprehended suspect. Chambers Jr. turned himself over to authorities on Tuesday morning.

According to Pace, the sister of Chambers Jr. contacted Vicksburg Police Chief Penny Jones asking if there was a warrant for the arrest of her brother. Jones referred her to the Sheriff’s Office.

Chambers Jr., accompanied by his attorney, surrendered to Detectives Erich Jerscheid, Jeff Merrit and Lieutenant Stacy Rollison at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. He was charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle and aggravated assault.

“It apparently started as a disturbance on C.J. Fisher Drive, and the two individuals made contact again in Bovina,” Pace said. “Both of them were armed and essentially had a shootout in the parking lot of this business.”

Erich Jerscheid is the lead investigator for the sheriff’s office and is currently running the investigation on the shooting. The handgun used by Chambers Jr. has not yet been recovered.