The Drew Police Department has made two arrests in a Feb. 15 evening double homicide.
Drew Police Chief Terry Tyler told The Enterprise-Tocsin on Friday that dispatch received a call around 5:50 p.m. on Thursday about a possible shooting on Broadway Street, near Park Avenue.
Tyler and other responding officers arrived two minutes later, he said, and they discovered two male victims who were later pronounced deceased.
One was in the driver’s side of a vehicle, and the other was lying face down on the street.
Both had multiple gunshot wounds, Tyler said.
The victims were later identified as Kendrick Austin, 23, and Ibn Burnett, 22, both of Drew.
“I activated my network system, as far as first responders and ambulances,” Tyler said, adding that he and his officers immediately attempted life-saving procedures.
Tyler said that a female suspect, Tacquiera Turner, 21, surrendered to police shortly after the crime and was being held at the Sunflower County jail, currently without bond.
“We were successful in bringing her in without incident,” Tyler said, adding that the suspect’s family reached out to his department and offered to bring her to the station.
On Monday, Tyler said that his department arrested Miracle Miller, 20, of Drew, and she is charged with murder. Tyler told The E-T this week that Miller was the alleged driver in the shooting.
Multiple agencies in multiple counties responded to the scene on Thursday, including area police and fire departments, as well as the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Tyler said he knew both victims personally.
“On behalf of the Drew Police Department, the family of the deceased, along with the family of the (alleged) perpetrator, have my deepest sympathy and condolences,” Tyler said.
Tyler said that the door to his office is open, and his department stands ready to assist the family members affected, even if they just need someone to talk to.
Tyler said that he would like to thank all of the agencies that responded and provided support, lighting and protection for his officers.
Those include his department, the Sunflower County Sheriff’s Department, the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Department, MBI, the Ruleville Police Department, the Drew Volunteer Fire Department and the Ruleville Volunteer Fire Department, as well as all of the EMTs and the other first responders on the scene.
“I want to thank everybody who played a role to make sure that I had enough lighting and enough protection for the safety of our city,” Tyler said.
