CLARKSDALE – Captain Robbie Linley of the Clarksdale Police Department said a suspect has been charged in the two shooting deaths at a nightclub earlier this month. Twenty-two year old Joe Morgan was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of 26-year old Damien Talbert and 30-year old Ricky Thomas on Jan. 9.
Linley said the murders stemmed from an earlier incident at Chris Don’s in the 200 block of Yazoo Street in downtown Clarksdale. Linley said Morgan and the two victims, Talbert and Thomas, reportedly had a fight inside the club before the shootings occurred.
“It appears there was an altercation inside,” Linley said, “a physical altercation, and it kind of spilled over outside. When the altercation occurred, they were put out of the club and it continued outside.”
Linley said about 1:17 a.m. police were called to the club about the fight and a police officer was there interviewing a security guard. The officer, however, was not there when Morgan allegedly shot Talbert and Thomas.
Both men were transported to Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center.
Talbert, who was shot multiple times, was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene while Thomas, who was shot once, died at the hospital shortly thereafter.
A third man, David McGee, was shot in the leg, and he was treated and released.
Police cannot release whether the weapon used in the murders has been recovered, but Linley said there were several witnesses to the incident.
“The club was open at the time,” Linley said. “And there were lots of people inside, but after the altercation, they eventually shut down and put everybody outside.”
Morgan was taken into custody later that day and questioned about the murders. He was later charged and his bond was set at $400,000.
Linley said Morgan, who was immediately questioned after the shootings, has no prior felonies in Clarksdale but has several misdemeanors.
Clarksdale city officials have since voted to close Chris Don’s because they said the murders have cast a negative light on the revitalization efforts of downtown Clarksdale and the other surrounding businesses.
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