By John Howell Sr.

An eyewitness whose initial statement identified three people as “ringleaders” of a Sunday morning gunshot free-for-all in Como recanted her statement Wednesday morning, Como Police Chief Fred Boskey said.

 Boskey had told town officials Tuesday night that the investigation led to the arrest of one suspect and warrants for two more in the shootings in the Warren/Church Street Extended area. After the witness arrived at the police station and took back what she had said earlier, the suspect was released and the warrants dropped, the police chief said.

“I know what’s happened,” the chief added, after the witness’s change of mind.

The early Sunday shootings brought several citizens seeking more police protection to the Tuesday night meeting of Como’s mayor and aldermen.

“We were awakened by the sound of gunshots,” one resident told the town officials and citizens who gathered in the Como library meeting room for July’s second scheduled meeting of the month. The resident described finding a hole in her front window the following morning and later, assisted by Como Deputy Police Chief Harold Lewis, a bullet lodged in the drywall of her dining room.

“I shouldn’t have to feel like I’m a prisoner in my own home,” the resident said.

Another resident of the area (who requested that names of none of the people reporting the incident be published, for obvious reasons) said about 2:30 a.m. he “heard a ruckus outside – there were all kinds of people outside.”

The resident said he then heard about 15 gunshots, “saw all kinds of commotion out there,” and called police. A short time afterwards, he heard another 15 or so gunshots. “It was like a war zone,” the resident added.

Como Police Chief Fred Boskey told town officials and citizens that an investigation had led to one arrest and to warrants for two more people, “positively identified as the ringleaders.”

During the meeting Boskey said that the investigation revealed that the incident stemmed from a minor altercation that began at the LP ballfield outside of town.

“It traveled from there to Como,” the police chief said. “A fight ensued at the Como apartments … one person was struck, … he goes in and calls a prison buddy of his who is running a gang in Sardis, tells them to come up, that he got hit. They soldiered up here driving a van and two motor vehicles, they scoured the area; they found just random individuals in Como; they fired upon them: Church Extended. That wasn’t satisfying enough…,” Boskey continued.

“They moved around to Warren, drove past some individuals that were chatting on a porch, pulled down the street … exited their vehicles ‘commando-style’ and under the cover of darkness approached them. When they got close to them, they commenced to firing at any given direction, no aim, just firing,” he said.  

Boskey’s report and further discussion between affected citizens and town officials revealed:

•Como’s small police force can often field only one on-duty officer per shift. “We’re going to have to figure a way to put more manpower in the street,” Boskey said.

•Dispatch of emergency calls to Como’s Police and Fire Departments is routed through the Sardis Police Department. The officer responding to the Saturday night call went first to the location known as “Como Motel.”

“Dispatch problem,” Boskey said.

•On-duty sheriff’s deputies were tied up at the time, unable to provide backup.

“They were handling problems of their own at the time; they had some shooting going on also, … “ Boskey said.

•Problems frequently arise in the vicinity of Como apartments between residents and non-residents.

“If my officer, that one officer, had confronted the three pistoleros, possibly four, that were firing at that time, we have no shotguns, not in our cars,” Boskey said.

Before the meeting ended, Alderman Forster Ruhl made a motion to buy the shotguns and locking, quick-release car mounts. Alderman Ruby Higgen-bottom provided the second and the measure passed unanimously with yes votes from Aldermen Teresa Dishmon, Bill Mitchell and Clark Gregory.