The Jones County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of a four-year-old girl who was shot in the abdomen at approximately 1:45pm today near Lone Oaks building G after a fight among people at the complex.
The suspect, 37-year-old Loretta Denise Elkins of Laurel, is reported to have fired a handgun at an individual with a round and inadvertently struck the 4-year-old child.
The child was taken by private vehicle to South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel.
She has since been airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. She underwent surgery and is in stable condition.
The suspect, Loretta Elkins, was taken into custody around 4:30 p.m. the same day, in Livingston Alabama. Agents and investigators with the 17th District captured Brown during an intense manhunt that crossed state lines.
Jones County Sheriff Joe Berlin said,
“We have been engaged in a massive manhunt for Loretta Brown this afternoon that included multiple law enforcement agencies in Mississippi and Alabama. The investigation is still very active, and we hope to release more information as soon as possible on Wednesday.”
As of Wednesday, Elkins will face a judge in Livingston Alabama either Wednesday or Thursday where she is expected to waive extradition.
Source: Jones Co. SOShe will then be transported to JCSD personnel to the Jones County Adult Detention Facility. Her initial appearance in Jones County Justice Court is tentatively scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Friday.
She will be charged with Aggravated Assault.
