February shooting victim dies, leading to homicide investigation
Mar. 9—TUPELO — A man shot multiple times at a west Tupelo house party in February has died, prompting police to open a homicide investigation.
Tupelo Police Department Deputy Chief Jackie Clayton said the victim was initially injured during a Feb. 5 shooting on Lakeview Drive. The victim passed away March 8, leading to the upgrade in the charge and investigation from an aggravated assault to homicide.
Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green identified the victim as 34-year-old Jermaine Berghuis of Pontotoc. He was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds around 4:45 p.m. Monday at North Mississippi Medical Center. His body will be sent to the state crime lab in Pearl for a full autopsy.
Tupelo police responded around 9:30 p.m. Friday Feb. 5 to the 200 block of Lakeview Drive, located just south of West Main Street between Monument Drive and Maynard Street.
The responding officers found a man who was suffering from at least one gunshot wound inside the house. The victim was carried to the North Mississippi Medical Center in critical condition.
"The preliminary information is that victim was a guest in the home for a party when shooting occurred," police spokesman Capt. Chuck McDougald said at the time.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Tupelo Police Department at 841-6491 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Mississippi at (800) 773-TIPS.
