Crime
20-year-old Tavian Young Killed in Abbeville shooting
Authorities in Abbeville are actively investigating a shooting incident that left one man dead and a second victim hospitalized following a series of emergency calls on Friday, April 18.
According to the Abbeville Police Department, the initial call came in shortly after gunfire was reported in the 700 block of South Guegnon Street.
Moments later, police received a second report indicating that a vehicle had crashed into a utility pole in the parking lot of Landry’s Laundromat on Charity Street.
A third call was then placed advising that another shooting victim had been located on Prairie Avenue.
Investigators determined that the incident began when a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe, traveling northbound on Guegnon Street, came under fire from an unknown assailant or assailants who discharged multiple .223 caliber rounds at the vehicle.
Tavian Young, 20, of Abbeville, who was inside the vehicle, was struck by a bullet on the right side of his torso, just beneath the armpit.
A second passenger, an unidentified female, sustained a gunshot wound to the back of her head.
Despite being under fire, the driver of the Tahoe continued north on Guegnon Street, then turned east onto Charity Street before losing control and crashing into a utility pole in the southeast corner of Landry’s Laundromat parking lot.
When first responders arrived at the crash scene, they discovered the vehicle resting against the utility pole with Tavian Young unresponsive inside.
Officers administered CPR, but despite life-saving efforts, Young was pronounced dead at the scene.
Responding units were then directed to Prairie Avenue, where the female victim was found with a gunshot wound to the head.
She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she remains in stable condition, authorities confirmed.
A third passenger, a three-year-old child, was also in the vehicle at the time of the shooting. The child was not injured and was later released to a family member.
The Abbeville Police Department, in conjunction with other agencies, is continuing its investigation into the shooting.
No arrests have been made at this time, and authorities have not yet released details about potential suspects or a possible motive.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Abbeville Police Department.
Crime
Man Suspected in Fatal Shooting of Estranged Wife Found Dead in Apparent Suicide in Baxter County
Authorities in north Arkansas have confirmed that the man wanted in connection with a fatal domestic shooting in Bull Shoals was found deceased Monday afternoon in Baxter County.
According to law enforcement officials, 49-year-old Brooks Dean Due, of Briarcliff, was the primary suspect in the shooting death of his estranged wife, Taylor Due, which occurred earlier that morning.
The Baxter County Sheriff’s Office reported that Due’s body was discovered on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property near Shoal Creek Trail, close to Norfork Lake, approximately 70 to 75 yards off the road.
His death is believed to be the result of suicide.
Sheriff John Montgomery of Baxter County said his office was notified early Monday morning by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office that Due was a suspect in the deadly shooting and was possibly in the Baxter County area.
Deputies initiated a search at and around Due’s residence in Briarcliff.
Assistance was requested from multiple agencies, including the Arkansas State Police, which deployed a helicopter to aid in the aerial search.
A vehicle matching the description of Due’s — a 2013 black Dodge Avenger with Arkansas Disabled license plate 305607 — was located on Shoal Creek Trail shortly before 2:30 p.m.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections’ canine tracking team from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock was brought in to support ground efforts.
The team successfully located Due’s body just under an hour later. The Baxter County Coroner’s Office took possession of the remains.
Earlier in the day, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Arkansas State Police and the Bull Shoals Police Department, began investigating the fatal shooting of Taylor Due at a residence in Bull Shoals.
Sheriff Gregg Alexander confirmed that arrest warrants had been issued for Brooks Due on charges of First-Degree Murder and Violation of a Protection Order.
Authorities had warned the public that Due was considered armed and dangerous, advising anyone who saw him or his vehicle to contact law enforcement immediately and not to approach him.
At the time of the alert, he was described as 6’1″, 265 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, possibly wearing a light-colored shirt and hat, and either clean-shaven or with a trimmed beard.
The investigation remains active and is being coordinated between the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, Bull Shoals Police Department, and the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and no additional suspects are being sought at this time.