MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — Two children were shot to death after a hostage situation in Mississippi on Monday.
Police say they arrived at a residence at 325 Coldwater River Road in Jonestown, Mississippi around 2 a.m. and located a 25-year-old Marquez Griffin, who was holding a child at gunpoint.
Deputies were eventually able to get that child to safety after negotiating with Griffin.
Coahoma County sheriff deputies say they located a 9-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl, Averi Jones, both suffering from gunshot wounds at the residence.
The boy was pronounced dead at the scene while the baby girl later died at a hospital in Clarksdale.
“All I know is my grandbaby Averi Jones is gone and I just want everyone to know that Averi Baby was a sweet baby. She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve this at all,” Melrose Haile said.
Haile is the grandmother of the one-year-old who was killed at the Summit Garden Apartments.
“Her mom told me she was asleep and he put a pillow over her head and shot her in her head,” Haile said.
According to Haile, there were several children at the apartment when the shootings happened. Haile says to her knowledge, Griffin is a friend of Jones’ mother.
“She told me they were friends and how could a friend do this to you?” Haile said.
At this time, investigators do not have a motive for the killings. They said Griffin had recently moved back to Jonestown from Austin, Texas.
Griffin has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
Jonestown is about 65 miles south of Memphis.
