By Leah Schwarting

NATCHEZ — A 20-year-old Natchez man was shot and killed Friday night at Holiday Apartments in Natchez.

Jamarius Jackson, 20, of 124 Brightwood Ave., was shot twice — once in his lower hip and once in his back — and later died at Merit Health Natchez, a Natchez Police detective said.

“We do know that there was some type of altercation going on at Holiday Apartments involving a group of young guys and a family,” Natchez Police Department Detective Jerry Ford said. “We’re thinking it may have been a drive-by shooting.”

Some residents of the apartment complex reported seeing a car and hearing shots fired.

Cassandra Jones has lived in her apartment with her children —Gabrielle Jones, 20, Makailuis Johnson, 15, Jaheim Johnson, 14, and her 5-month-old granddaughter, Jermyiah Green — for approximately one year.

Jons said she was sitting on her porch when she saw a car drive by and fire shots.

“Me and my kids went into the house,” Jones said.

In her second floor apartment, her 5-year-old son, Brandon Shinard, called over Cierra Burns to the window Friday night.

“I saw the car, the black car,” Burns said.

Burns lives with her two sons, Shinard and his 4-year-old brother, Deyounta Rogers. She worries about her sons, and doesn’t let them play outside.

“It’s very scary here,” Burns said, “I had my door kicked in twice, but I wasn’t home.”

Burns isn’t alone. Adrese White lives in a ground floor apartment with her son, Jayden White, 6, daughter Martha White, 17, and mother, Rose White.

White said she was watching a movie when she heard the shots fired Friday night. White thought the sound came from her television at first, but when she realized what it was, she had her son get down on the floor.

Friday night’s shooting is the second that has happened since she moved in almost a year ago, but the only fatal shooting.

“If it keeps up like this and they shoot, who’s to say a bullet won’t come through my window?” White asked.

Natchez police responded to a call around 10 p.m. for aggravated assault. By that time Jackson had already been taken to Merit Health Natchez, police said.

White said she saw the police arrive quickly, something that Burns agreed with.

“They probably passed each other,” Burns said, referring to the police and the shooters.

When it comes to the police response, Jones isn’t sure what more they can do in the case of a drive-by shooting.

“It’s not like they don’t patrol,” Jones said.

Across the street, Renee Lowry feels differently. Lowry has been living in the apartment complex for approximately 20 years and thinks the police could have more patrols late at night.

She also thinks the apartments’ management should take greater care in who they allow to lease an apartment.

“They don’t care who they’re putting up in here now,” Lowry said.

White agrees greater care should be taken, and management should do a better job of screening potential residents.

“They need to really watch the people they rent apartments to,” White said.

White is worried about her children, and so is Burns.

“We need a better neighborhood,” Burns said.

Burns said she has been looking for a new place almost since she first moved in last October. White is also seriously considering moving, as are some of her neighbors.

“I’m already like, OK, move, because I don’t need this around him,” White said, gesturing to her son.

The Holiday Apartments office was closed Saturday and a representative of its management could not be reached for comment.