Video: Woman Killed in Wild Parking Lot Shooting

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Carter, 25

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — A woman shoots another woman in a busy restaurant parking lot and then goes after another woman inside early Sunday, leaving one dead and another in jail.

Columbus Police say 25-year-old Tarkesha Carter is in jail this morning, suspected in the shooting death of a 23-year-old Britney Foster — she would have turned 24 on Aug. 27–and assault on another woman.

At about 12:40 a.m., police received a call of shots fired in the parking lot of the recently opened Buffalo Wild Wings in the Jackson Square Center on Highway 45 North in Columbus. When they arrived, they found the 23-year-old shot in the east end of the parking lot not far from Highway 45. She was shot at least once in the head and died at Baptist Golden Triangle Hospital.

Witnesses at the scene told WCBI Carter and the 23-year-old knew each other and Carter confronted the victim near her car in the parking lot after the victim got off work at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Both women apparently were armed with guns and Carter allegedly opened fire. Witnesses said they thought the victim also got off at least one shot, but police say they aren’t sure that is true based on evidence and statements.

Some evidence at the scene suggested Foster’s gun may have jammed. It was found under her body.

Evidence markers indicated several shell casings were found in the area of the shooting.

Carter then allegedly went inside the restaurant, which still was open and had customers, looking for the victim’s roommate, who also was at work. The roommate fled through the restaurant out the back door as Carter chased her. Carter allegedly fired three shots at the second woman outside the rear of the restaurant but didn’t hit her.

When police arrived moments later, Carter lay on the ground in front of the restaurant and said, “I did it,” and could be heard saying she didn’t mean to take anyone’s life.

Police and Coroner Greg Merchant are withholding the name of the other restaurant employee who was chased as the investigation continues. Carter is cooperating with police.

Foster also apparently worked at Weyerhaeuser in Lowndes County.

Her father is police chief in Union Springs, Ala. Her mother lives in Mandeville, La.

Investigators have not released a motive for the shooting, but friends say it may have been brewing for a while.

FBI statistics and local and state law enforcement say women on women shootings are unusual because those cases more often involve knives or similar weapons and not guns

Friends say they think Carter was asked to leave a local bar, but it’s unclear why or if it is connected to the later shooting. That bar originally was reported by WCBI as the Loft but employees say she was not there at all during the night.

2:29 p.m. CST | Update
Release from CPD Investigator Brent Swan

“The following are facts and circumstances the Columbus Police Department Criminal Investigation Division can confirm related to the death of Brittany Foster at 2001 Hwy 45N on August 17th at approximately 01:00 a.m.

— A call was reported to the Columbus Police Department at 00:59 hours of a waitress being shot at 2001 Hwy 45N

— Patrol officers found a female who was later identified as Brittany Foster lying in the parking lot close to Hwy 45. It appeared Ms. Foster had been shot.

— Patrol officers made contact with a female in the front parking lot of Buffalo Wild Wings who was identified as Tarkesha Carter. Carter was armed with a handgun at the time of her detainment.

— Ms. Foster was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

Confirmed Facts:
— Tarkesha Carter was a customer of Buffalo Wild Wings at least twice on August 16th.
— Carter left a tip to an employee during one of the visits.
— Carter parked her vehicle across Hwy 45 in another parking lot prior to 01:00 a.m. on August 17th.
— Carter confronted Brittany Foster, who was an employee of Buffalo Wild Wings, while Foster was in close proximity of Foster’s vehicle.
— Foster was shot in the parking lot around 01:00 a.m. by Carter.
— Carter walked across the parking lot and entered the front door of Buffalo Wild Wings.
— Carter demanded to see an employee (who will remain unnamed) and wanted her money back (referring to the tip she left earlier on August 16th)
— Carter went through the business seeking the unnamed employee and exited the side employee entrance/exit.
— Carter fired her weapon several times in the direction of the unnamed employee after walking out the side entrance, but did not injure the employee.
— Carter surrendered to police in the front of Buffalo Wild Wings without further violence.
— Two weapons were recovered during the investigation. One was in close proximity of the suspect at the time of detainment and the other in close proximity of the victim. It cannot be determined without further examination on which weapon(s) were fired at the scene. It also cannot be determined who owned or possessed each weapon without further forensic analysis. Type of weapons will not be disclosed.
— Shell casings were recovered close to Ms. Foster and more casings were recovered by the side door entrance/exit. Exact number will not be disclosed.
— Tarkesha Carter, Brittany Foster, and the unnamed employee knew each other prior to August 17th.

Tarkesha Carter will be arraigned at 3:00pm on one (1) count of Murder and one (1) count of Aggravated Assault. The investigation is still active and no further information will be released at this time.”