U.S. Marshals Arrest Mississippi Murder Suspect Izeekia Sanders in Indianapolis After Mound Bayou Shooting That Killed Armad Gant and Wounded Another Man
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — U.S. Marshals arrested 20-year-old Izeekia Sanders in Indianapolis on Oct. 7 after a fugitive investigation tied him to a deadly shooting in Mississippi’s Delta region. Sanders was wanted on first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges in connection with the Sept. 20 case in Mound Bayou.
Authorities say the arrest came after investigators determined Sanders had left Mississippi and traveled to Indiana. He was later found in a vehicle near the 1300 block of 30th Street in Indianapolis and taken into custody by the Marshals Service.
Sanders is now being held at the Marion County Jail while he awaits extradition to Mississippi. Authorities say the criminal case remains active.
Mound Bayou officers responded to shots fired near Stringer Avenue
The shooting happened on the afternoon of Sept. 20 near the 500 block of Stringer Avenue in Mound Bayou, according to police. Officers responded to reports of shots fired and found two men who had been struck by gunfire.
One of the victims, 20-year-old Armad Gant, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. A second male victim was also shot and taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and later released.
Investigators have not publicly released additional details about what led to the shooting or how the two victims were connected to Sanders, but they say the case prompted a murder investigation that has continued since that day.
Police and sheriff’s investigators built the case before seeking help from Marshals
The Mound Bayou Police Department worked with the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation. That joint work led to a murder warrant for Sanders, who was then officially sought by local authorities.
After obtaining the warrant, Mound Bayou police asked the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force for help locating him. Investigators then followed information that Sanders had crossed state lines and was headed to Indianapolis.
That information brought in the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force as well, extending the search beyond Mississippi. Officials have described the arrest as the result of a coordinated fugitive operation rather than a single agency’s effort.
Arrest near 30th Street ends a search that crossed state lines
Marshals located Sanders in a vehicle near the 1300 block of 30th Street in Indianapolis, where they made the arrest. The location placed him well outside the Mississippi Delta area where the shooting occurred more than two weeks earlier.
After the arrest, Sanders was transported to the Marion County Jail for processing. He remains there pending extradition proceedings that would send him back to Mississippi to face the charges filed against him.
The case illustrates how quickly a local homicide investigation can expand once a suspect is believed to have fled the state. In this case, federal fugitive task forces helped bridge the gap between the original crime scene and the final arrest site.
Sanders faces murder and conspiracy charges as the case continues
Sanders is charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, but he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Those charges stem from the death of Gant and the wounding of another man during the Mound Bayou shooting.
Authorities say the murder investigation is still continuing. The Mound Bayou Police Department and the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office have not said whether additional suspects are being sought or whether more arrests could follow.
For now, the case is centered on the extradition process and the court proceedings that would follow if Sanders is returned to Mississippi. Any future decisions will move through the justice system there.
U.S. Marshals urge tips on fugitives through office, hotline and website
In connection with the arrest, the U.S. Marshals Service said anyone with information on wanted fugitives should contact the nearest Marshals office. The agency also directs tips to its Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102.
People can also submit information through the USMS Tips website at www.usmarshals.gov/tips. Marshals say public tips can help locate suspects who may be moving across county or state lines after violent crimes.
The agency did not say whether the Indianapolis arrest resulted from a tip or from surveillance during the fugitive hunt. What officials do emphasize is that coordinated fugitive tracking can extend far beyond the jurisdiction where a crime first occurs.
