Wynne residents react to a block party that ended in a deadly shooting

Mattison Gafner
·2 min read
8

WYNNE, Ark. – One dead and at least nine injured, according to Arkansas State Police, after a block party turned deadly.

On Saturday night, people gathered at a car wash on the corner of Williams Avenue and Martin Luther King Street for a block party.

ASP: 1 dead, 9 injured at Wynne block party shooting

Neighbors reported to the Wynne Police Department around 10 pm that they heard shots fired.

Alfreddie Neal had just driven by the lively party, and when he was about a block down, he heard a sound he said he wouldn’t forget.

“I hear a bunch of gunshots, and I come back, and I see one of my best, one of my partner’s sons, laying with a gunshot wound. I mean tragedy,” Neal said.

That best friend’s son was 27-year-old Varian Campbell, who was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.

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Campbell’s body is now at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, where the cause of death will be determined.

There were also nine other victims, according to an ASP press release.

Of those nine, two received injuries after being run over by a vehicle.

All nine victims were transported to local hospitals, including St. Bernards CrossRidge Community Hospital in Wynne, Forrest City Medical Center, and hospitals in Jonesboro and Memphis.

One victim was transported by helicopter to the Regional One Health Elvis Presley Trauma Center in Memphis.

All the victim’s ages ranged between 24 and 49 years old.

Police believe there could be additional injured individuals who might have been transported to hospitals in private vehicles.

Neal is tired of the senseless gun violence that has now hit home. Saying this is just another tragedy Wynne will have to face following the tornado around this time last year.

“I mean, the instances—I don’t—it was senseless,” Neal said.

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Due to the tragedy, Pastor Justin Murphy felt a calling to come to the scene, which was still covered in empty bottles and caps, and pray.

“The Lord just laid on my heart, especially after everything that took place last night, so I’m just trying to come circle the area in prayer and just try to bring hope, healing, and help in any way that we can,” Murphy said.

Murphy carrying a large cross on his back to the neighboring houses surrounding the car wash.

“I wish Wynne would just come together,” Neal said.

Investigators have identified multiple people of interest and encourage anyone with information about the incident to call Troup D at 870-970-6082.

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