Jimmie Lee Ross Jr., 33, was killed in a drive-by shooting on February 6, 2021, while driving northbound on U.S. Highway 49 in Phillips County near the Monroe County line. Ross was accompanied by 29-year-old Ashanti Jones and a 16-month-old infant. An unidentified vehicle pulled alongside Ross’s car and opened fire; both Ross and Jones were struck and taken to a hospital in Stuttgart. Ross died of his injuries; the infant, who was secured in the vehicle, was not harmed. Jones was later transferred to a Little Rock facility for further treatment.

The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division opened a homicide investigation. The assailant vehicle’s make and model remain unknown, investigators reported few immediate leads, and no arrests or publicly identified suspects have been announced. The investigation is described as open and active.

Did anyone in the area on February 6, 2021, see a vehicle matching that description or other activity along U.S. Highway 49 that could help investigators?