Columbus police make 2 arrests after shooting near hospital

Gavin Fields and Dustin Pope are both in the Lowndes County Jail.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Two people were arrested Friday morning in Artesia from Monday’s shooting that spilled over into the Baptist Golden Triangle parking lot.

Gavin Fields and Dustin Pope are both in the Lowndes County Jail.

The two brothers face six counts of aggravated assault and one charge of shooting into an occupied vehicle after Monday afternoon’s shootout in Columbus.

Four people were injured, and two are still hospitalized.

At least four people were also held for questioning that day, but no one was charged at the time.

The shooting has already been life-altering for the victims. Two were listed as stable in an out-of-town hospital. Two others were treated at Baptist and have been released.

Investigators said the accused shooters and the victims knew each other.

Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry and District Attorney Scott Colom said parents in the community are concerned about their children falling victim to the violence.

“Some of these young people are throwing their life away senselessly because of what you said about me on Instagram or TikTok,” Daughtry said. “They’re having beef senselessly. ”

“It’s only gonna get you in trouble, and have long-term, negative consequences for you and your family,” Colom said. “Just because you see it on TV, that’s not the lifestyle you want for yourself. I anticipate the chief is gonna ask for no bond or one that commiserates with the harm caused, and I don’t think it’s gonna be a bond people are gonna be able to make…We want people to know that consequences for this type of violence are going to be serious, swift, and life-altering.”

With school back in session, officers are planning on addressing the violence by going to the young people.

“We’re gonna do something different this time,” Daughtry said. “We’re not gonna go in tell them this is what you do, this is what you don’t do. We’re gonna sit down, and we’re gonna listen to them, and find out what they’re thinking. How can we help them and ensure not only their safety but can we do as adults to make sure they have an open line of communication.”

Daughtry said additional charges could be coming.

He and others said if you know of a situation, let them know about it before it escalates.

Even if you don’t want to give an official statement, there are ways to report things confidentially.

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