Road rage killing at jackson
intersection results in life sentence
June 5, 2026
(Jackson, MS) – Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens, II, announced today that 47-year-old Charity Barnes has been found guilty of First-Degree Murder in the shooting death of 39-year-old Melissa Turner.
On August 20, 2021, officers with the Jackson Police Department responded to a shooting at the intersection of West Street and Woodrow Wilson Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found Melissa Turner suffering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Investigators learned that Turner was driving with her teenage son when the incident occurred. According to the victim’s son, Barnes, who was driving a white Nissan SUV, was traveling behind them in the left lane and threw eggs at the trunk of their vehicle. After pulling in front of Turner’s vehicle at a red light, Barnes exited her SUV armed with a handgun. Moments later, she fired a single shot through the driver’s side windshield, striking Turner. The victim’s son witnessed the shooting and photographed the license plate of Barnes’ vehicle before she fled the scene.
The following day, detectives located the white Nissan SUV at an apartment complex on Watkins Drive. Shortly after officers arrived, Barnes exited an apartment, identified the vehicle as hers, admitted to the shooting, and was taken into custody. Barnes was found guilty of First-Degree Murder and sentenced in life in prison to be served in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
“This was a completely avoidable tragedy,” said District Attorney Owens. “A disagreement in traffic escalated into gun violence, leaving a teenage son to witness the loss of his mother. This life sentence reflects the devastating consequences of that decision and ensures accountability for a senseless act of violence.”
Bond denied for suspect who allegedly shot and killed a woman at West St. traffic light
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JODY E. OWENS, II
