Deputies respond to shots fired during funeral

News-Times
News-Times

The Union County Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports of gunshots fired Saturday outside an Urbana church where a funeral was taking place for the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred in El Dorado earlier this week.

No injuries were reported in the incident at Mount Zion Baptist Church.

Sheriff Ricky Roberts said the UCSO is asking the public for help with information regarding the incident and possible suspects.

Darris C. Davis, 35, was killed in a shooting Oct. 7 in the area of Stuart and Elm.

His funeral was scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Mount Zion church, and Roberts said deputies responded at approximately 2:30 p.m. to a report of shots fired outside the church.

Details about the incident remained sketchy Saturday night.

“At this point, we don’t have much to go on. We don’t know a whole lot. There weren’t very many people who witnessed it,” Roberts said.

At least one suspect, a black male, was wearing white pants, witnesses said.

Deputies canvassed the scene but did not find anyone fitting the description provided by witnesses or any shell casings, the sheriff said.

“One person told us that the guy had a pistol, which may be the reason we didn’t find any shell casings. It may have been a revolver,” Roberts explained.

He said deputies received reports that the suspect(s) were possibly inside a vehicle that had left the scene just before deputies arrived.

Minutes later, deputies stopped a vehicle matching a description provided by witnesses at Main and Industrial Road, just inside El Dorado city limits.

The occupants of the vehicle were briefly detained and released without any arrests.

“It appeared they did not have anything to do with it. The shots were fired as they pulled up and they left the scene,” Roberts said.

Several people, including a man who was injured in the shooting, have been arrested in connection to the Oct. 7 incident.

El Dorado police are still searching for the suspected shooter, Ira. L. Baker, 25, of El Dorado, with the assistance of U.S. Marshals.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The shooting reportedly stemmed from a parking dispute. The investigation is ongoing, police have said.

Roberts urged anyone with information about the shooting outside Mount Zion to call the UCSO at 870-864-1970.

He said callers and the information provided will remain confidential.

“It’s a sad situation when things like this happen, when people are trying to bury their loved ones,” Roberts said. “This is something you hear of in big cities and now it’s happening in our small community. We don’t know if the guys involved are actually from here.”

Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.

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