MERIDIAN, Miss. — The Lauderdale County Coroner’s Office has released the names of two people killed in a shooting at St. Francis in Meridian that left two people dead and a third critically injured.
The victims have been identified as Shedrick McAlister, 49, of Meridian, and Sh’Quiya Carpenter, 22, of Meridian.
The Meridian Police Department arrested and charged Tommy Lard, 28, in connection with the shooting, which reportedly occurred around 9:40 a.m. in the 2400 block of Fourth Avenue.
Lard faces the following charges:
Two counts of murder
Attempted murder
Shooting into a dwelling
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Initial reports indicate that responding officers may have come under gunfire as they arrived at the scene.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law