The Jackson Police Department said in a Facebook post that detectives have arrested and charged 19-year-old Ladarius Evans in the fatal shooting of Justin Body at Leavell Woods Park.
The department said the shooting occurred on Saturday, April 25, at approximately 7:30 p.m. Robbery/homicide detectives identified Evans as a suspect on Sunday morning, April 26, and he was taken into custody and charged with murder.
On Monday, April 27, Evans appeared before a municipal court judge and was given a combined bond of $600,000 — $500,000 on the murder charge and $100,000 on a charge of tampering with evidence, the post said.
The Jackson Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for investigations within the city and routinely uses its robbery/homicide unit to investigate fatal shootings. The charging of a suspect marks a key step in the criminal process, but court proceedings and any potential trial will determine guilt or innocence. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
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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