An incident of stolen guns from a residential burglary involved a suspect who was previously charged with beating and shooting a man earlier this month.

Apparently 18 year-old David Anthony Rouse, of 57 Rouse Rd., was involved in the residential burglary of home for three shotguns and a 50 caliber muzzle loader. Earlier this month he was charged in connection with the shooting and beating of a man whom he got into an argument with over an alleged sour drug deal.

The residential burglary was reported on Jan. 16, at a home on Rouse Road. The incident involved stolen shotguns and muzzle loader, said Pearl River County Chief Investigator Donnie Saucier said. Information about the missing guns was provided to the department when Rouse attempted to sell them to a confidential informant.

A buy of the guns was set up by the department through the informant, establishing a meet point at the park at the intersection of Neal Road and Palestine Road, Saucier said. Rouse showed up, bringing along two other suspects, 17 year-old Jesse Millis, of 59 Greenwood Place and 18 year-old Brandon McMorris, of 514 N. Beech St.

Officers moved in and took the three suspects into custody and securing a loaded 380 handgun, two baseball bats and a loaded pellet pistol, but no stolen guns for sale, Saucier said. Interrogation and investigation into the matter showed the suspects had no intention of selling the stolen guns to the informant, instead they planned to rob the informant. The stolen guns were in fact being held at the home of Curtis Coleman, 27, of 507 Fifth Ave.

Investigators secured a consent to search Coleman’s home and found two of the stolen firearms. Further investigation showed that McMorris and Rouse were involved in the residential burglary at the residence on Rouse Road. The remaining firearms were turned into the Sheriff’s Department by one of Rouse’s relatives the next day, Saucier said.

Rouse and McMorris were charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and residential burglary, both felonies. Millis was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and Coleman was charged with possession of stolen firearms.

On Jan. 3, Rouse was involved in the shooting and beating of 25 year-old Kenneth David Smith of 38 Water Oak Lane, Poplarville. That day an alleged drug deal went bad and Rouse and Smith began to argue. The argument escalated and Rouse and several accomplices began to shoot at Smith’s car, forcing Smith to flee in his car.

Smith made it to the end of the driveway before wreaking his car. Smith and his three passengers attempted to make a run for it but Rouse and his accomplices followed. Smith was shot once in his lower back before he was beaten, pistol whipped and robbed of his cash and a silver necklace by Rouse and his accomplices.