JPD: Women killed in random shootings

A civil engineering student at Jackson State University is accused of randomly shooting and killing two women in separate incidents Thursday night.

Zebulum Lael James, 22, of Jackson has been charged with two counts of murder in the Thursday night shooting deaths of Suzanne Hogan, 48, a native of New York and a recent Madison resident, and Kristy Lynn Mitchell, 49, of Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

According to police, James went on a shooting spree through the metro Jackson area Thursday night, killing Hogan and Mitchell and injuring others. James is a suspect in two prior shooting incidents Thursday. No one was injured in those shootings.

James is accused of shooting Hogan in the head while she was in the Shell station parking lot on the corner of Watkins Drive and Beasley Road, according to Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance. Hogan was pronounced dead on scene.

Hogan was filling up at a gas station before driving home after leaving work that night.

“Wrong place, wrong time,” her father, Art Hogan, said Friday evening.

Suzanne Hogan moved to Madison County nine months ago after being transferred to Entergy as a financial manager.

“She liked it,” Art Hogan said. “She was happy here.”

Minutes after shooting Hogan, James is accused of shooting Mitchell once in the abdomen in the Logan's Roadhouse parking lot in Ridgeland. Mitchell was transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center where she underwent surgery but succumbed to her injuries. Before she died, Mitchell described the shooter as a black male with dreadlocks, driving a blue Mustang.

When the shooter fled the Logan's parking lot, he hit a 59-year-old man walking in front of the Drury Inn. The victim was transported to River Oaks Hospital where he was treated for a broken leg. He also described the vehicle as a blue Mustang, Neal said.

James was charged with one count of aggravated assault in that incident.

Neal said it took 15 seconds from the time James pulled into the restaurant parking lot to the time he left.

"Based off interviews with the witnesses, we believe that his entire time inside Madison County during this crime spree was approximately 15 seconds," said Ridgeland Police Chief John Neal.

Mitchell was in town on business and staying at the Drury Inn in Ridgeland, Neal said. According to a Facebook page that appears to belong to Mitchell, she arrived in Mississippi on Monday. On Tuesday, Mitchell visited Madison restaurant Mama Hamil's where she had her "first southern food."

Shelly Mitchell Berry lists herself as Mitchell's niece on Facebook.

"Aunt Kristy was a strong woman that loved everybody — no matter what anyone else said or thought," Berry wrote in a post Thursday. "The world has really lost a selfless and kindhearted woman tonight. Aunt Kristy, may your memories always warm the hearts of all that had the pleasure of knowing you.

A Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/wzb9rs5w, has been set up to help family bring Mitchell's body home.

James was arrested Thursday night at an apartment complex without incident, Vance said. A weapon was recovered from James' vehicle, a blue Mustang, on the scene, Vance said.

While the investigation is ongoing, police believe the shootings were random.

"It's unfortunate," Vance said. "There was nothing we could do to prevent it, we didn't see it coming, there were no indicators. We don't know what motive inspired this guy to do what he did. I just think it's fortunate that we were able to get him into custody as soon as we did because he represents, obviously, a great danger to the community based on the actions he's already taken."

“You think it’s going to happen to somebody else, but not you,” Hogan's mother, Joyce Hogan said. “We have our memories. We’re just going to have to grab onto our memories.”

JSU released a statement Friday, confirming James is a junior full-time commuter student, majoring in civil engineering.

James has not confessed to the crimes, Vance said. It is currently unknown if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs or if he has a prior criminal history.

James is currently in the custody of the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond.

TIMELINE:

5:49 PM: Shooting at a JATRAN bus near the 4300 block of Watkins Drive. No injuries.

Shooting at a JATRAN bus near the 4300 block of Watkins Drive. No injuries. 5:50 PM: Shooting into an occupied dwelling at 4322 Watkins Drive. No injuries.

Shooting into an occupied dwelling at 4322 Watkins Drive. No injuries. 5:57 PM: Precinct 3 officers respond to Shell Service Station at 5492 Watkins Drive. Victim is dead on scene.

Precinct 3 officers respond to Shell Service Station at 5492 Watkins Drive. Victim is dead on scene. 6:02 PM: Shooting into an occupied vehicle on Watkins Drive near Hanging Moss Road. No injuries.

Shooting into an occupied vehicle on Watkins Drive near Hanging Moss Road. No injuries. 6:03 PM: Ridgeland Police Department received a call of a female with a single gunshot wound in Logan's parking lot. Victim was transported to UMMC where she died.

Ridgeland Police Department received a call of a female with a single gunshot wound in Logan's parking lot. Victim was transported to UMMC where she died. 7:14 PM: Precinct 1 officers respond to Briarcliff South Apartments at 3630 Rainey Road. James is arrested.

Contact Sarah Fowler at sfowler@gannett.com or (601) 961-7303. Follow @FowlerSarah on Twitter.