Man killed in apparent robbery

Published 5:00 am Thursday, May 21, 2009

A Brookhaven man is dead after a Wednesday afternoon shooting onJennifer Street near Union Street, authorities said.

Lincoln County Coroner Clay McMorris said James Braswell, 21, of2429 Heuck’s Retreat Road, was pronounced dead at King’s DaughtersMedical Center around 6 p.m. Wednesday after he was shot twice bysome unknown assailants who police said flagged him down and askedfor money.

Brookhaven Police Chief Pap Henderson said Braswell was in hisvehicle on Jennifer Street with two females when three black malesflagged the car down and asked for money. The relation of the twofemale passengers to Braswell is undetermined.

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“The people in the car, we know they knew at least one of them,”Henderson said.

Robbery is a possible motive for the shooting, Hendersonsaid.

Braswell was shot when the men allegedly demanded his money andhe tried to drive off. Two of the assailants had guns and firedinto the car.

Henderson said suspects in the shooting were being interviewedThursday morning.

“Originally there was nothing to go on other than what thepassengers said,” Henderson said. “But sometimes it’s like pullingeye teeth in this job, because while we didn’t get a lot of witnessreports right away, we just had to be patient and work and westarted to gather information.”

Henderson confirmed that one of the passengers drove Braswell tothe emergency room after the incident.

McMorris confirmed Braswell died in the emergency room as aresult of at least one gunshot wound. His body will be sent to theMississippi State Crime Lab for autopsy.

Henderson and McMorris said the death is still underinvestigation.