4 - Hometown Hard News

Shooting of 14-Year-Old Boy in Magnolia, Arkansas

A child homicide case has shaken the small town of Magnolia, Arkansas. On Tuesday, October 1st, at 6 p.m., local law enforcement responded to a call from the Magnolia Medical Center concerning a juvenile with a gunshot wound. The 14-year-old boy passed away due to his injuries during transportation to a medical facility in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

KSLA Video Link in Picture.

According to Magnolia Reporter, Talley-Jones was a student at Magnolia Freshman Academy. The superintendent of Magnolia Schools, John Ward, announced that additional counselors were made available to students on Wednesday. Students who need more emotional support are encouraged to seek these counselors in this time of grief. 

Along with that, Magnolia Principal Jessica Aryee made a statement to Trey Miner from KTVE:

"So, we brought in some extra counselors for our students to be available in case any of them needed some help processing the situation. I wanted to validate how they were feeling. And I needed to give them time to process. And if that meant taking 10, 15, 20 minutes out of English, if it meant taking 45 minutes out of our day to address that for our kids, that was important for us at this school."

A suspect named Marquil Lambert, who was a 2024 graduate of Magnolia High School, was identified and arrested on Wednesday. He was officially charged with murder in the second degree, and is anticipating his first court appearance while being held at the Columbia County Justice and Detention Facility. 

A photo of the detention facility, as well as a link to the inmate roster website (currently under maintenance). 

The community is devastated by the tragic death of this young man. This homicide is the third one in Columbia County this year, and it has made an impact on our small town. The investigation is still ongoing, and our hearts go out to the victim's family and friends during this time.