Shootings continue after barber’s murder

Published 5:57 pm Tuesday, August 15, 2023

A second person has been reported injured by gunfire in incidents stemming from the fatal shooting of Marcus Wheatley a month ago in Panola County. 

A relative of the man currently jailed in Wheatley’s death was shot in a targeted attack around 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12. Batesville Police were not called to the scene of the shooting, but were contacted by authorities from Grenada County hours later when the victim was treated at the hospital there.

The latest shooting happened on Ozbirn St. It is at least the second targeted shooting of a member of Cadarrius Pride’s family or close friend since he was charged with murder.

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Pride, known in the rap music industry as Superstar Pride, turned himself in at the Sheriff’s Office on July 19, the same day as Wheatley’s death. The victim was Pride’s longtime barber, and the two were thought to be close friends investigators said at the time.

Three days later, also in Batesville, a woman was shot in the arm in a targeted attack. Reports said those shots were intended for the same man who was hit this past weekend.

On the same night the woman was shot, a 19-year-old man was killed and another man was seriously injured at a Courtland block party on Shiloh Rd. Sheriff’s Office deputies are working that case, and have not yet confirmed whether that gunfire was tied to the earlier shooting in the city, and ultimately Wheatley’s death.

Cadarrius Pride’s address in the jail log lists 108 Ozbirn as his home address. The aspiring rapper had reportedly signed a record deal worth more than a million dollars, and was waiting to record a debut album.

Using social media platforms and music streaming services, Pride had gained a national following in a short time and was considered a rising star in the rap music industry.

He was denied bail at a hearing following Wheatley’s death.