PANAMA CITY — Two men have been arrested after a nightclub argument led to the shooting death of a 19-year-old man, police announced Tuesday.
Khiry Ross, 24, and Marcus Mathis, 25, were arrested Tuesday in connection to Panama City’s fourth shooting-related homicide in less than a month. Jshun Smith, 19, was the latest victim to the wave of gun violence which has been concentrated to within about a mile of the previous three.
Police were called at about 3:20 a.m. Monday to KJ’s Nightclub, 908 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Once there, officers found Smith, of Atlanta, suffering from a gunshot wound. Smith was taken to the hospital where he died.
The Panama City Police Department later learned Ross and Smith had been in a confrontation inside the club. The argument spilled outside when Ross pulled a firearm and fired several shots, striking Smith. Ross and Mathis then fled the area in a vehicle driven by Mathis, according to police reports.
Both Ross and Mathis are currently in custody at Bay County Jail.
Ross is charged with an open count of murder, felon in possession of a firearm and felon in possession of ammunition. Mathis is charged with accessory after the fact to murder.
Smith is the fourth man to be shot and killed in Panama City since late May.
Xavier Buckler, 23, and Marqueze McGhee, 25, both of Panama City, were shot and killed at a Millville gas station on May 24, and 26-year-old Dalrico Franklin was shot in the leg but survived. Police have not announced any arrests in the case.
Leonard Price, 38, of Panama City , was shot at close range in the yard of a Carver Road home. Police have arrested 28-year-old Michael Davis and charged him with murder.
The police investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information in reference to the case is asked to contact Detective Joe Adams at the Panama City Police Department, 850-872-3100, or you can report your tips anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS.