Two men, 18 and 19, shot to death Wednesday night

Pine Bluff police officers will seek federal charges against a man accused of shooting two young men, aged 18 and 19, to death late Wednesday.

Assistant police chief Kelven Hadley announced this during a Thursday news conference at the Det. Kevin D. Collins Training Center, offering further details into the events that led to the deaths of Zykelon Ginger, 18, and Otis Tyler, 19.

The men died Wednesday night following a shooting that apparently led to a traffic accident in the area of 4114 W. 14th Ave., near Apple Street, where police responded after 8 p.m.

Dispatchers reportedly stated before the officers’ arrival a person in the vehicle had been shot. On arrival, the officers located a vehicle in the ditch near the southeast corner of 14th and Apple. Four people including the victims occupied the vehicle, Hadley said.

Two shooting victims were located, one of them nearby while officers searched the crime scene, according to police. They were identified as Zykelon Ginger, 18, and Otis Tyler, 19. Both were pronounced dead at Jefferson Regional, according to police.

Other occupants of the vehicle were located. Hadley said a witness on scene identified the shooter, but it was unclear if the victims also identified the shooter before their deaths.

“That suspect was later captured, within an hour, at a residence just two houses down from the crime scene and taken into custody without incident,” Hadley said.

Detectives identified Keshawn Franklin, 19, as the shooting suspect. He was located in the back of a residence about a block away from the shooting scene and transported to the detective office to be interviewed.

“The homeowner came to the door and allowed us to be able to come in without incident,” Hadley said. “We went in to make the arrest.”

Franklin is booked in the W.C. “Dub” Brassell Detention Center on suspicion of two counts of capital murder, although he is awaiting a probable cause hearing. Prosecutors will determine whether to formally press those charges.

Hadley said the police department offered its condolences to Ginger’s and Tyler’s families.

The homicide and circumstances leading to the deadly shooting are under investigation. Anyone with more information is asked to call the detective office tip line at (870) 730-2106, the detective office at (870) 730-2090 or the dispatch center at (870) 541-5300.

These are the seventh and eighth homicides recorded within Pine Bluff city limits this year. Hadley addressed questions about what Pine Bluff is doing to combat violent crimes.

“We just initiated our VCAT, which stands for violent criminal apprehension team, and they have been trained by the FBI, who have come down here to train them,” Hadley said. “With the vision of Mayor (Vivian) Flowers, she has worked very hard to partner with Pine Bluff businesses to have them to allow us to place substations in different parts of the city.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals have partnered with police in trying to solve the homicides, Hadley said, adding police have noticed an influx of assault-type weapons used in the cases.

“Some of these weapons, we are getting from officers’ suspects (whom) we’re seeking to have serve federal time,” he said. “We are in the process of getting our officers patrol rifles, because the firepower the suspects are using pose a concern not only for the safety of our officers but also for the citizens of Pine Bluff.

“We’ve got to take an aggressive stance on these criminals who are causing fear in our city.” 

The Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration’s Respect for Life Campaign will join members of the Pastors on Patrol from the Pine Bluff Faith Community Coalition Ministerial Alliance in response to the double homicide. The groups have called for “OGs,” or original gangsters, to meet with them May 2 at 10 a.m. at the PBICVR office at 211 W. Third Ave., Suite 109. 

The group placed a cross at the intersection where the shooting occurred and prayed for the families of homicide victims.