Two people turned themselves in to the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department Tuesday morning on charges related to the gun store shootout that occurred in the Henleyfield community on Jan. 23, 2016.
Michael McCool, 30, and his father Audy McCool, 53, turned themselves in to the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department at 9 a.m. that day. Michael McCool was booked in on the charge of first degree murder and Audy McCool was booked in on the charge of accessory after the fact of first degree murder, said Chief Investigator Marc Ogden. The indictments were issued after the Pearl River County Grand Jury deliberated on the case late last year.
Micheal McCool’s bond was set at $2 million and Audy McCool’s bond was set at $40,000, Ogden said.
The case involves the deaths of a father and son that operated a gun store in Henleyfield, 44-year-old Jason McLemore and 17-year-old Jacob McLemore. According to previous coverage, the original incident was reported to have occurred when the McCools went to the gun store to pick up a weapon they left at the business. When the owners of the weapon learned there would be a $25 charge associated with the work, Micheal and Audy McCool became argumentative, prompting the female owner of the store to call for assistance from her husband and son.
When the male McLemores arrived, the incident escalated to the point of gunshots being exchanged, and all four people were injured. The McLemores died as a result, while the McCools were transported to area hospitals for treatment.
Fifteenth District Attorney Hal Kittrell said the McCools will attend court on March 28 for arraignment, where a trial date will be set and the judge who will preside over the trial will be determined.
Ogden said the McCools were indicted by the grand jury in December of last year, but the incitement could not be served until the paperwork was completed earlier this month. Ogden said due to the number of cases the courts deal with, that timeline is typical.