HOT SPRINGS -- A man was arrested Thursday evening in connection with a fatal shooting in Hot Springs that morning.
Kendrick Cordell Jujuane Burris, 25, of Mountain Pine was taken into custody about 5:15 p.m. and later booked into jail on a felony count of first-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison, in the shooting death of Jamar Smith, 34, of Hot Springs.
Burris, who also had a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear, remained in custody Friday in lieu of a $501,000 bond and is set to appear June 6 in Garland County District Court, although he will likely be arraigned before then.
The affidavit for Burris has reportedly been filed under seal in Garland County Circuit Court and was not available Friday. A gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case was also issued Friday.
According to a news release from the Hot Springs Police Department on Thursday night, around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to 209 Maryland St. regarding a possible gunshot victim inside the residence.
Officers found the victim, later identified as Smith, dead inside the home.
Interviews were conducted and a suspect was identified, the release said, noting that about 5:15 p.m., the suspect was taken into custody at a residence in Garland County.
Burris was booked into the Garland County jail shortly before 9 p.m. on the murder charge.
According to court records, Burris was arrested Aug. 31, 2022, on felony charges of simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, punishable by up to life in prison; possession of marijuana with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to 10 years; and possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years.
He was initially held without bond but was released Sept. 3 on $27,500 bond. He pleaded innocent to the charges in circuit court Nov. 16 and the case was set for a disposition hearing July 5.
According to the probable cause affidavit on the Aug. 31 arrest, about 2 p.m., Mountain Pine Police Cpl. Christopher Haynes was sitting at the police station in Mountain Pine, 405 Ouachita St., when he saw a gold four-door car drive toward him "at a high rate of speed" and he made a traffic stop on it at Main Avenue and Blakely Dam Road.
Mountain Pine police approached the vehicle and made contact with the driver, identified as Burris, who was on the phone and continued talking on the phone while searching for his vehicle documentation, police said.
Officers saw an AR-15 rifle covered in the back seat and smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, so they had Burris step out, police said. Burris admitted he had some marijuana, but he had a medical marijuana card, which was determined to have expired, police said.
As the officers began to inventory the vehicle, they reported finding 136.6 grams of marijuana in an "air-sealed bag," 25.7 grams in a green container and 3.6 grams "rolled up inside a brown cigar." The total amount of marijuana was 165.9 grams, or 5.8 ounces, police said. They also said they found a pipe with marijuana inside and a tray with marijuana seeds and stems.
Police also reported finding a fully loaded Ruger 9mm handgun, a fully loaded Taurus 9mm handgun and a fully loaded PA-15 AR-style rifle. At that point, Burris was taken into custody without incident on the various felony charges, police said.
Agents with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force were notified and later assumed the investigation.