William Earl Burnett, a 41-year-old Black man from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was fatally shot in the early hours of December 24, 2023. Officers responded just after 2:00 a.m. to a shooting at a residence at 1313 S. Blake Street; the scene contained spent shell casings and trails of blood but no victim. About 2:23 a.m., an off-duty officer called Jefferson Regional Medical Center to report a man brought in with a single gunshot wound. Burnett was later identified as that man and died of his injury.

Police say the detective division opened an immediate investigation and are following leads. No arrests or suspects have been publicly announced, and authorities have not released details about what led to the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pine Bluff detective office with tips that might assist the inquiry.

Did anyone in Pine Bluff see or hear anything near S. Blake Street that night, or have information about who might be responsible?