2 in custody after Thursday shooting in Ridgeland

While no suspect has been identified in a Thursday afternoon shooting that injured the driver of a Chevrolet Tahoe on Highland Colony Parkway in Ridgeland, two passengers in the vehicle that was shot into are in custody today facing evidence tampering charges, officials said.

“At this time, no suspect or suspect vehicle has been identified and investigators are working to determine a motive behind this crime,” said John Neal, Ridgeland police chief.

Anterrion T. Robinson, 25, and Lajeremy J. Johnson, 35, both of Canton were taken into custody after the incident and charged with tampering with evidence. They are currently being held at the Madison County Detention Center without bond, pending an initial appearance.

Neal said that during their investigation, officers determined that Robinson and Johnson had attempted to hide potential evidence by removing firearms from the vehicle and discarding them along the side of the interstate.

The shooting victim has been identified as 30-year-old Tyrone Lewis of Canton, Neal said. Ridgeland Police Lt. Brian Myers said the victim had a gunshot wound to the left arm and what appeared to be a wound where a bullet grazed his chest. He has undergone surgery and authorities have him listed in critical condition.

Neither Robinson nor Johnson was injured.

Myers said the victim, Lewis, was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe on Highland Colony Parkway near the Natchez Trace overpass headed north toward the roundabout when someone in another vehicle opened fire on them.

The victim then headed east on Old Agency Road and ended up in the southbound lanes of I-55 where the victim exited the vehicle and collapsed.

Myers said they received a 911 call about the incident at 4:21 p.m. Thursday, reporting “two mobile vehicles exchanging gunfire.”

Neal said the two passengers gave statements of the events, saying they were passengers in Lewis’ Tahoe and had just finished eating at Walk-On’s restaurant on the Highland Colony Parkway. They said that as they left the restaurant heading north on the parkway a small light-colored sedan began following them and began firing weapons at them.

One of the bullets struck Lewis, who continued to drive and entered 1-55 South at Old Agency Road but was unable to continue to operate the vehicle and pulled to the shoulder where a Ridgeland Police Officer encountered them.

Myers said the Ridgeland Fire Department and EMS also arrived on the scene to render aid. Myers said the victim left the scene by ambulance at 4:46 p.m. and that investigators cleared the scene by 6:05 p.m.

Myers said traffic was never brought to a complete halt due to the emergency response to the call.

Neal said officers have collected evidence from two identified crime scenes, one being on I-55 where officers encountered Lewis and his passengers and the other on the Highland Colony Parkway just north of Natchez Trace where the shots were fired.

Investigators are also working with local businesses on the route the vehicle traveled to locate any video surveillance that may lend assistance to the investigation.