A welfare check gone wrong in Simpson County led to a 17-year-old suspect and a law enforcement officer being shot and two other people being discovered dead on Wednesday.
Simpson County deputies responded to a residence on Blair Road in Mendenhall. Upon arrival, authorities report that a burglary was in progress. A juvenile is said to have opened fire at police, striking a deputy in the process, before barricading himself inside the home. Deputies returned fire after the juvenile began shooting.
A standoff occurred, and multiple agencies were called to the scene to assist. Officers later deployed tear gas inside the house, prompting the suspect to exit the home and flee on foot. The suspect then reportedly shot at police again. A state trooper fired back, striking the subject.
The subject, identified as Cordarius Laray Hobbs, was taken into custody and transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One deputy was struck by gunfire and received non-life-threatening injuries. Upon entry of the residence, police found two individuals deceased. The deceased have been identified as Bill and Carol Blair. Both were 74 years old at the time of their passing.
Hobbs is charged with capital murder, armed robbery and burglary. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is assessing this incident. Upon completing the investigation, agents will share their findings with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
