Woodhaven shooting suspect’s criminal history includes accessory to attempted murder, stolen weapons charges
Published 5:05 pm Wednesday, August 24, 2022
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NATCHEZ — A suspect who allegedly burglarized cars and shot a gun at a homeowner who confronted him on Monday is no stranger to the Mississippi legal system.
District Attorney for the Sixth Circuit Court District Shameca S. Collins said Wednesday Xavier Jenkins, 22, of Natchez, pleaded guilty in 2018 to accessory after the fact to attempted murder.
Collins said then-Circuit Court Judge Al Johnson sentenced Jenkins to 15 years in prison and gave Jenkins credit for time served in the county jail. The remainder of the 15 years was suspended, and Jenkins was put on post-release supervision by the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
“He never served any time in prison, only time in the county jail,” Collins said.
On May 6, 2020, Jenkins was arrested again by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and charged with being a felon in possession of a weapon and possession of a stolen weapon.
“At that time, we tried to get his parole revoked,” Collins said.
Instead, she said Sixth District Circuit Court Judge Debra Blackwell sent Jenkins to a program directed toward rehabilitating teenager offenders. At the time, Jenkins was 19.
“I think it was Helping Hands or Teen Challenge. I’m not sure which,” Collins said.
Collins did not know how long Jenkins was a part of those programs. She also said she doesn’t know if Jenkins’ weapons violation charges have gone to trial.
According to court reports in The Natchez Democrat on June 30, 2020, Jenkins’ case on the two weapons charges was bound over to the grand jury.
Collins said Tia Groom, 28, who was also arrested and faces charges in the Woodhaven incident, does not have a felony record. She is suspected of driving the vehicle.
Attempts to reach Blackwell for comment were unsuccessful.