A social media post put the community on alert this weekend about an alleged threat of violence from out-of-town gangs in connection to a shooting that claimed the life of a 16-year-old El Dorado boy on April 22, prompting a few local businesses to close on Saturday.
The post, which was purportedly taken from a text message that was sent by ‘Someone from PC (presumably a reference to Parkers Chapel)’, began circulating throughout the community Friday afternoon and asserted that the threat was credible.
The post advanced unconfirmed rumors that had swirled in the week since Brandon T. Mack was gunned down in the backyard of his residence in the 1200 block of North Mosby.
The shooting occurred just before 8 a.m.
Mack sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Medical Center of South Arkansas, where he was pronounced dead.
A suspect was identified and an arrest was warrant issued 19-year-old Camron M. Washington, who turned himself in to El Dorado police 12 ½ hours after the shooting.
Washington is being without bond held in the Union County Jail on felony charges of capital murder, terroristic act, aggravated cruelty to a dog, cat or horse and enhanced penalties for offenses committed in the presence of children and felony with a firearm.
He also faces two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, second-degree.
Police were already in the area investigating a report of animal cruelty involving a cat when they were called to Mack’s residence in reference to the fatal shooting.
Washington was later identified as a suspect in the animal cruelty incident for allegedly shooting the cat.
Police also said other people, including two children, were inside the North Mosby Avenue residence when the shooting occurred.
The house was also struck by bullets. No other injuries were reported.
Investigators have not yet established a motive for the shooting.
Police said they collected several shell casings from the scene of the fatal shooting.
While still on the scene, officers heard gunfire nearby at approximately 9:30 a.m.
They determined that the shots were fired in the 500 block of North Mosby and that several vehicles and at least two houses had been struck by bullets.
Two other shootings followed on the night April 23 and during the early morning hours of April 24.
Houses and vehicles were struck by bullets in a shooting that occurred just before 9:30 p.m. on April 23 in the 800 block of East Fourth, police said.
Three and a half hours later, Deshawn Watson, 19, was struck in the leg during a shooting at his residence in the 1100 block of South Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Watson’s injuries were not life threatening. He was treated and released from MCSA.
Police have not yet determined or said if they believe the shootings are connected.
Social media post
A balloon release was held Friday in honor of Mack. Friends and family gathered at his father’s auto dealership, (Brandon A.) Mack’s Autoworld, LLC, 416 N. West Ave., for the balloon launch.
In the days following Mack’s slaying, rumors began to spread throughout the community that there was a potential of retaliatory shootings from out-of-town gangs who were planning to descend upon El Dorado “this weekend.”
It is unknown where or how the rumors originated.
Police have not confirmed if they believe Brandon T. Mack was involved in gang activity or if his death was gang-related.
The boy, who died less than a month shy of his 17th birthday, and three other males (17, 18 and 21) were arrested last year in an alleged plot to shoot at rival gang members during the Union County Fair.
The plot was thwarted when police, following up on information stemming from rumors of the potential threat, learned the shooting may have been planned for Sept. 24, 2022 — the final night of the Union County Fair.
Brandon T. Mack and the other teens were arrested during a traffic stop immediately after police observed them enter and exit the parking lot of the Union County Fairgrounds on 19th Street.
Three loaded handguns, two of which were fit with a “Glock Switch,” a device that converts a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic gun that is legally classified as a machine gun, per federal and state laws, were found inside the vehicle during a search incident to arrest.
An arrest warrant for misdemeanor offenses — including three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, allowing an unauthorized person to drive and no automobile liability insurance — was subsequently issued for the 21-year-old man, who was the registered owner of the car in which the teens were riding.
Brandon T. Mack was initially charged as an adult but in January, a motion was granted to transfer his case to the Juvenile Division of Union County Circuit Court.
A funeral for the teen was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Victory Church on North West Avenue.
Law-enforcement presence was heavy during the service, with El Dorado police and Union County Sheriff’s Office patrol units dotted throughout the immediate area and along the blocks surrounding the church.
Store closings
At least three downtown businesses closed Saturday in downtown El Dorado — one as a direct result of the social media post, which warned “everyone to stay home and out especially downtown for the next few days.”
Marilyn’s on the Square posted on its Facebook page Friday evening that the business was closed and would remain closed until Monday.
“Out of an abundance of caution for guest(s) and staff(’s) safety, we will be closed the remainder of the weekend,” the post read.
Customer and vehicular traffic were scant late Saturday morning on the Union County Courthouse square.
The Olde Towne Store and Shelly’s Shoes — both of which are located on North Jefferson Avenue between Main and Elm streets, along with Marilyn’s — also posted notices of closing for the day on their respective Facebook pages Saturday morning.
“We opened this morning but due to no activity downtown, we have decided to close. Please pray for our city,” Shelly’s Facebook post read.
Beth Brumley, executive director of Main Street El Dorado, said she heard about the rumors and the alleged text message between 4 and 5 p.m. Friday and passed the information along.
“I don’t have any concerns. I spoke with (El Dorado police Chief Kenny Hickman) last night. I think we just gave our business owners the information that we were aware of and let them make their own decision,” Brumley said Saturday morning.
“I know some of them went in and they said there wasn’t anyone downtown so they closed early — a handful of them. I know some of the restaurants (were) open,” said Brumley.
The alleged text message pointed to areas on the west side of town in the area of Hillsboro and Bradley as supposed hot spots with the highest potential for violence.
In a text message to the News-Times, Union County Sheriff Ricky Roberts wrote, “Don’t know where this information is coming from. We are hearing the same rumors but they have not been confirmed!”
Roberts also said that he briefly spoke with John Gross, superintendent of the Parkers Chapel School District, presumably about the rumors and security risks, and the school district made the call to postpone the Parkers Chapel High School prom, which had been scheduled for the weekend in El Dorado.
Hickman could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
A community cleanup that was scheduled in Ward 3 proceeded Saturday morning.
Janis Van Hook, president of Keep El Dorado Beautiful, who assisted Ward 3 El Dorado City Council members Willie McGhee and George Calloway Jr., with coordinating the cleanup, said six volunteer teams participated.
Van Hook said that due to the unfounded rumors of potential violence, two volunteer groups pulled out of the cleanup on Friday.
There were no reports of violent incidents in town by late Saturday evening.