On September 2 at approximately 5:35 pm, a shooting occurred in the 300 block of Dumas Drive in Natchez. Upon arrival at the scene, investigators discovered that 17 year old Seth Hendricks had been taken to Merit Health Hospital with a gunshot wound to the hip.

Bystanders informed officers that 17-year-old Marlon Gatlin, Jr. was the offender. Officers detained 23-year-old Kerenski Hawkins who had removed two guns from the scene of the crime.

Gatlin, Jr. was brought to the Natchez Police Department by his father for questioning. He was subsequently charged with Aggravated Assault and later confessed to stealing the firearm that was used in the shooting out of a car earlier in the day.

Further investigation determined that Gatlin and Hendricks, along with 15-year-old Elijah York, were supposed to be exchanging the weapons with each other until Hendricks and York tried to rob Gatlin. The shooting ensued at that time.

Hendricks and York were charged with attempted robbery. Hawkins was charged with one count of tampering with evidence in a crime.

Investigators were able to recover all weapons that were used in these crimes: a FNS .40 cal, a Taurus .9mm, and a Glock .40 cal handguns.