Panola County sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported shooting at about 4:30 a.m. on September 27, 2026, on Highway 51 near Dewberry Street in Sardis, Mississippi, according to the Panola County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were told that two people had been injured. Gary Walls, Jr., sustained a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at the scene, the Sheriff’s Office said.
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Janiya Fonville also was injured and was taken to Panola Medical Center for treatment. She was reported to be in stable condition and doing okay.
The Sardis Police Department is leading the active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the Sardis Police Department.
Jon Ross Myers founded Mississippi News Group in 2013. Before founding the organization, he worked at The Daily Mississippian, The Marion Salute and The Southern Sentinel. A Mississippi journalist and writer based in Ripley, he received second place in poetry in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition for "The Garden."
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