Woman killed by gunshot on George F. West Blvd, juvenile suspect in custody

NATCHEZ — A violent confrontation with a juvenile led to the shooting and killing of a woman this afternoon.

Natchez police responded to 1108 George F. West Blvd. at approximately 1:38 p.m. in reference to a gunshot and found an unresponsive female.

The woman identified as Dambrelle LaShay Thomas, 31, was pronounced deceased at the scene after she’d been hit by a single gunshot from what was possibly a modified 12 gauge shotgun. The shot struck her in the area of her upper chest and arms, Natchez Police Commander Jerry Ford said.

“This is just horrible,” Adams County Coroner James Lee said of the shooting. “My heart goes out to these families because it’s a no-win situation in our community. Everyone is affected by these avoidable tragedies. We should never stop praying.”

Ford said he talked with witnesses who said that an altercation had taken place at the residence earlier between a 17-year-old juvenile and an adult man. The juvenile allegedly had a weapon on his person when he got into a physical fight with the man. The juvenile left the residence and allegedly returned with the shotgun and fired it inside the house, hitting the female. Bullet pellets also broke the man’s belt but did not injure him, Ford said.

“We still don’t have all the details of what the altercation was about,” Ford said, adding an investigation is ongoing.

The juvenile reportedly barricaded himself inside the old Thompson school but later came out and surrendered to police after they had surrounded the building.

“Officers surrounded the school and shortly after got his father to get him to come out and turn himself in to authorities,” Ford said. “He showed officers where the weapon was that we believe to be the murder weapon. We expect him to be charged as an adult.”

Ford said more details would be released after the juvenile court judge gives him the authority to do so.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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