COVINGTON, GA. (THECOUNT) — Almond Turner, former Covington, Georgia, assistant police chief and current Newton County School Board member, has been identified as the victim in a fatal Saturday night shooting in Meridian, Mississippi, according to reports.

Turner, 45, was at a family gathering at an event hall in Meridian when the deadly shooting occurred on Saturday.

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Meridian Police said that during the gathering, the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Christopher Denson, went outside to his vehicle, and returned with an AK-47 style rifle and opened fire shooting.

Denson is believed to have shot Almond, “five or six times,” reports 11ALIVE.

Police in Meridian say they are actively searching for Turner.

According to Ken Malcolm with the Covington Police Department, Turner, who had retired from his position with the department in 2016 after a 45-year-long career in law enforcement.

Anyone with possible information on Turner’s whereabouts or any information pertaining to this case should contact police immediately at 911.

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Geo quick facts: Covington is a city and the county seat of Newton County, Georgia, located 35 miles east of Atlanta. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 13,118.

Meridian is the sixth largest city in the state of Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area – Wikipedia.