Columbus Police arrest second suspect in connection with deadly neighborhood shootout, murder investigation far from over

Investigators still searching for two persons of interest

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Monday night, the Columbus Police Department announced a second arrest in connection with a deadly shootout in Columbus’s Southside in December.

“If we could’ve arrested a person that night for this murder, that would have been better,” says Police Chief Fred Shelton.

But CPD says the ongoing investigation into the murder of 20-year-old Frank Edwards is far from over.

“We’re happy to be at a point right here where we’re able to make an arrest but that’s not the end of the story,” the police chief says.

Police say 40-year-old Terry Brooks of Columbus is charged with accessory after the fact of first-degree murder.

“It took a while to get him but once we got him, we were able to get enough evidence to show that he was involved in the murder,” Chief Shelton says.

Kenny Armistad was arrested back in April and charged with murdering Edwards.

Edwards was shot and killed in the 1300 block of 12th Avenue South on December 30th, 2020.

Police are still investigating what exactly started that fight.

“What led to the argument, we don’t know,” Chief Shelton says. “It started off as a peaceful deal. Frank was there with some friends hanging out. These guys pulled up, the argument ensued and people got shot.”

The chief says that surveillance video that caught the suspects’ Mazda fleeing the scene was crucial to Brooks’s arrest.

“There were allegedly four people in the vehicle, so we’ve identified two people in the vehicle,” Chief Shelton says. “There are two other people that were possibly in the vehicle and we’re trying to get them identified.”

As CPD continues its investigation, Chief Shelton says the best way to move things forward is more cooperation from the community.

“We’re going to need evidence, solid evidence,” he says. “We need eyewitness testimony.”

Chief Shelton says that what evidence they do have is being processed by the crime labs in Jackson, Meridian and Batesville. But he says that could take anywhere from six months to a year.

“We did recover a weapon, but again, I can’t say that’s the weapon they were using until there’s a scientific ballistic test,” Chief Shelton says.

Chief Shelton says there is still much work to be done to not only take the case to trial but also get a conviction.

“We want to make sure that we bring closure to the family by getting the people that were involved, and hold them responsible according to the law,” he says.

Chief Shelton says they have been in constant contact with Edwards’s family during the investigation.

Anyone with information on the shooting should call Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 1-800-530-7151.