Man shot and killed inside West Point apartment after argument with sister’s boyfriend early Thanksgiving morning

WEST POINT, MISS. (WCBI) – A household argument that ended in gunfire left a West Point family grieving the murder of a loved one on Thanksgiving.

While many people woke up to start cooking, residents at the Windale Apartments in West Point woke up to the aftermath of a deadly shooting.

West Point Police say it was an argument between 43-year-old James Roberson and his sister’s boyfriend, 45-year-old Octavius Collins, involving alcohol that ended with Collins allegedly shooting Roberson.

“It’s another one of those situations where it’s evident that gun and alcohol do not mix,” says West Point Police Sgt. Ramirez Ivy.

Police say it was just before 1:30 am when they got a 911 call from Roberson’s sister. Officers responded and found Robinson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

“Just a horrible situation gone wrong,” says Sgt. Ivy.

The murder happened in an apartment complex that was full of families and children gathered together for Thanksgiving later that day.

“This is my first time ever experiencing something like this,” says neighbor Colnitra Walker. “It being so close to us and especially in the same building I’m in so, it was very scary.”

Walker says she lives with her family in the same building where the shooting happened and remembers hearing something in the middle of the night.

“It woke us up,” she says. “It sounded like somebody fell against the wall or something.”

The incident left her fearing for her 6-year-old daughter’s safety.

“The apartment that it happened in, my baby’s room was next door,” she says.

Police say Collins initially fled the scene but was later arrested and charged with murder.

“It’s sad,” Walker says. “I just pray for the family that lost a loved one so close to the holidays.”

Police say Octavius Collins is currently in custody at the Clay County Jail. Sgt. Ivy says their murder investigation is ongoing but wants to assure the public that this was an isolated incident.