Arrest of suspect with a gun on school campus

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) – On Monday, February 7, 2022, deputies were called to New Hope High School to assist the School Resource Officer in disbursing a crowd after New Hope’s 53 to 45 win over West Point in basketball. Witnesses told deputies that two girls got into a fight while leaving the game. A large crowd gathered, some watching the fight and others trying to break up the fight. The SRO was then told that someone had a gun and called for backup. A gun was located on the back seat of a vehicle. Deputies seized the gun for further investigation.

According to state law, It is illegal for any student to have a firearm on school campus. However, it is legal if a person that is not a student, and that person has a firearm that is in their vehicle on school campus. If that non-student takes the firearm out of their vehicle and brandishes that firearm, then that person has committed a felony. Upon conviction, that person shall be fined not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($ 5,000.00), or committed to the custody of the State Department of Corrections for not more than three (3) years, or both. (Ms. Code 97-37-17) Detectives reviewed surveillance video at the school and talked with witnesses. After reviewing video footage of the incident, it was apparent that the owner of the gun did in fact take the gun out of the vehicle and brandished the weapon. Lowndes County Detectives then obtained a warrant for the arrest of 19-year-old Perry Ladarrious Marrow of West Point and on Friday, February 11, 2022 Marrow was arrested and booked into the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center. Marrow has since been released on a $5,000.00 bond.

“Yet again we’re investigating another dangerous incident related to illegal use of a firearm. Far too often law enforcement is dealing with gun violence on school campuses. Fortunately, no one was injured during this incident. Our message about guns being dangerous could not be any clearer and a school campus is no place for this type of weapon.”  – Eddie Hawkins, Sheriff