Shortly after 4 a.m. on Saturday, November 11, 2023, shots were reported on Milam Road in Batesville, Mississippi. Deputies from the Panola County Sheriff’s Office found 36-year-old Lonnie Gilliam inside a residence; he had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner. Authorities sent his body to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Jackson for autopsy.

Investigators initially said it was unclear whether the shooting was targeted, gang-related, or a spontaneous act of violence. Arrests followed: 23-year-old Barry Louis Flowers Jr., of Courtland, was taken into custody and charged with murder, and on November 30 an anonymous tip led to the arrest of 24-year-old Anthony Dewayne Flowers Jr., who was charged with first-degree murder.

Anyone with information about what happened that night on Milam Road is asked to come forward.