Hattiesburg police arrest man after Hardy Street shots fired

Hattiesburg police arrested a man Sunday morning after reports of shots fired in the 100 block of Hardy Street, the department said.

Officers responded at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Aug. 23, 2026, and made contact with James Matthew Barnes, 34, of Hattiesburg, the department said in a Facebook post. Barnes told officers he had called 911 and fired the shots, and he was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault and shooting into a motor vehicle.

The investigation remains ongoing, Hattiesburg police said. The Hattiesburg Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency that handles public safety and criminal investigations in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Shootings reported in residential areas raise immediate public safety concerns and can lead to multiple criminal and civil investigations; anyone charged is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. We will provide more information as it becomes available.