RANKIN COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
A Rankin County man has been charged with murder after admitting he shot and killed a man. Neighbors say the shooter was being terrorized by the man who is dead.
The situation began yesterday with a verbal dispute between the two men who were at one time roommates.
Sheriff's deputies were called to the 14-hundred block of Old Lake Road about 9:15 Monday morning. They were called by a near-by resident who said he had gone to the home to check on the man who lived there.
"I kinda looked through the door and I seen a man sitting, laying, sitting up like this and he was shot in the head" said Mack Porter. "That's the way it went down. So I left there and went to my sister's and called Rankin County."
Fifty-two-year-old Richard Glenn Lewis is being questioned by authorities. The victim has been identified as 46-year-old Chris Hankins.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey says apparently the two had been involved in an on-going dispute.
"We had received a call yesterday with the deputies going out there about a verbal dispute" said Sheriff Bailey. "But if I'm not mistaken, the information we have as far as these individuals had lived together before, the victim and Mr. Lewis had lived at this same residence before and apparently had gotten into an argument yesterday."
The victim had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Neighbors say Lewis had been diagnosed with several mental disorders making him a target for bullies, adding that Hankins had been bullying Lewis and finally Lewis, whose nicknamed Smiley, snapped.
"Ole Smiley has always been good" said Porter. "I never would think that he could do something like that. But you can never tell."
There is help for people who are being bullied and are looking for assistance. Contact the Crisis Line, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 601-713-HELP. That's 601-713-4357.
Sheriff Bryan says Lewis' case will be turned over to the next meeting of the Rankin County Grand Jury.
Lewis is scheduled to make his initial court appearance before Rankin County Judge Kent McDaniel Tuesday morning.
WLBT 3 - Fox 40
