By John Howell

Panola County investigators continued their investigation Thursday into the shooting death of 29-year-old Marreo Andreal Toliver of Sardis Wednesday night just west of Highway 51 in Sardis.

Sheriff department investigator Barry Thompson identified the murder suspect as Jordan Johnson, 41, of Sardis.

Panola County Sheriff Dennis Darby said at the scene Wednesday night that a suspect had been arrested who had confessed to the shooting. Authorities searched the area around 14A Stokes Street in an attempt to locate a firearm that the suspect told them he threw aside as he fled the scene. 

Thompson said that shortly after 7 p.m. an argument between Toliver and Johnson grew into a heated altercation that ended with a shot from a rifle that struck Toliver in the chest.

“It appears that a semi-automatic rifle hit him in the right chest area,” Thompson said. 

Panola County Coroner Gracie Grant-Gulledge said that she pronounced Toliver dead at Tri-Lakes Medical Center at 8:11 p.m. His body was transported for autopsy on Thursday.

A first responder at the scene Wednesday night said that medical personnel had initially called for Toliver to be airlifted by helicopter for treatment, but that the flight plan was cancelled when he could not be revived.

Investigators returned to the scene Thursday morning to resume their search for the rifle and the expended cartridge. They had not located either at presstime.

The sheriff said that both would be useful evidence in the investigation. Darby also said he was concerned that if the weapon was not recovered it would remain on the streets.

Thompson said that the weapon is believed to be a .30 caliber Garand M-1 military rifle, the standard rifle of U. S. military forces during the World War II and Korean Wars.