A standoff with a gunman, identified as Neil Newcomb, in the Shady Grove community of Jones County, began Sunday afternoon, July 29 around 3:45 p.m., and ended Monday morning, July 30 around 5:30 a.m. when law enforcement officers made entry into the home and discovered the body of the gunman and his daughter. The gunman’s ex-wife was also found critically wounded.

Earlier Sunday afternoon, Newcomb allegedly shot his son-in-law in the face. The son-in-law managed to escape from the home and was transported to SCRMC and later air-lifted to University Medical Center in Jackson and remains in critical condition.

During the night, as hours of negotiations with Newcomb failed, an unidentified Jones County Sheriff’s Deputy was seriously wounded when entry into the home was attempted by law enforcement officers and gunfire erupted from the home. Law enforcement officers returned gunfire and it is unknown whether Newcomb’s death was the result of the gunfire or self-inflicted.

According to Sheriff Alex Hodge, the wounded Jones County deputy was air-lifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham where he underwent surgery and remains in critical condition.

Around 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon Jones County Officers were called to the residence to investigate a domestic disturbance. The officers left the scene and two and a half hours later the shooting and standoff with officers began.

When the shooting began volunteer medical first responders and rescue units from Shady Grove VFD were called in to assist. As the situation escaladed, agencies from across the county and the state of Mississippi were called in including the Jones County SWAT team, Jones County Emergency Management Agency, SWAT teams from Pearl Police Department, Laurel Police Department, and Lamar County Sheriff’s Department.

After the Jones County Sheriff’s Deputy was wounded, the Mississippi Highway Patrol SWAT team and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations was called in to assist.

With the high temperatures and extreme humidity, dehydration and heat exhaustion became an issue for the law enforcement officers throughout the standoff and many were treated at the scene and several were transported to SCRMC where they were later released.

The incident remains under investigation by the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations.

Also responding to the scene were Jones County Coroner Nancy Barnett, Investigator Wayne Black of the District Attorney's Office, HoJones County EMA Chaplain Brother Drew Blanton, Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna, Jones County Fire Council Medical First Responder Coordinator Lee Garrick, Magnolia Baptist FOMA (Fishers of Men in Action) and the Pine Belt Region American Red Cross.