NATCHEZ — A Roxie man is dead and a Vidalia man behind bars following a murder Sunday morning in Natchez.

The victim, Cleveland Ezell Wilson, 41, 11 Pheasant Road, Roxie, was killed by gunfire shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday on Caddo Street near East Franklin Street.

NPD Interim Chief Danny White said police responded to a call of shots being fired at 4:51 a.m. When the first officer arrived at the scene, he found Wilson dead on the pavement outside local rim shop and restaurant, Jet’s Meals and Wheels.

When the responding officer arrived, he saw Wilson’s brother, Clarence Wilson, kneeling over the victim, White said.

The officer asked the brother to back away and then discovered the victim, Wilson, was unresponsive. His body has since been sent to Jackson for an autopsy.

White said Wilson died of apparent gunshot wounds, though he did not say where his wounds were or how many there were.

After gathering information from a number of eyewitnesses to the crime, NPD arrested Cedric Dewayne Ward, 33, 406 Maple St., at approximately 4:30 p.m., White said.

“We’ve been out there since 5 a.m.,” White said early Sunday evening, regarding the number of witnesses they interviewed.

White said he is unsure if the two men knew each other. The investigation is ongoing, and White would not comment on whether there may be more arrests.

White said there were “a bunch of people” on the scene when police arrived, and apparently there were several eye witnesses to the incident because there were patrons at the business.

White said he is unsure what motivated the fatal shooting.

Ward, a convicted felon, was convicted of attempted second-degree murder in 2000 in Louisiana, White said. In 2001, he was convicted of aggravated assault in Adams County.

Ward was also arrested in 2004 during a drug raid in Concordia Parish. He was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm with obliterated serial numbers.

The victim had prior convictions for sale of schedule II controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

Coroner James Lee said the incident was terrible.

“It’s absolutely unbelievable that we have another homicide (in Natchez) this close together,” Lee said.