State says Jordan Cummins got physical with his gf before fatal shooting happened
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Opening arguments and witness testimonies were the highlights during day 2 of the trial for Jordan Cummins.
He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Joshua Spann and Auden Simpkins.
Prosecutors say Jordan Cummins was physical and put his hands on his girlfriend Jenny Lukens before the fatal shooting happened.
While in court, the state argued that one of the victims, Joshua Spann, tried to intervene and break up the fight. He was then shot and killed.
However, the defense is refuting those claims.
”What I witnessed between Jordan and Jenny that day was they had gotten into an argument,” says Jordan Jagger, as she gave her testimony on day 2 of the trial.
Jagger attended the parade with Cummins and Lukens and recalls an altercation between the two.
”Jordan put his arm around me and just kind of touched me in a way, like right here. Jenny saw that Jenny got mad, she was enraged.”
Jagger says that the incident then led to things getting physical.
”They began fighting. He backed her up into the corner of a tent and was squeezing her by her cheeks, screaming at her, calling her out of her name.”
While inside the courtroom, Jagger says her sister then jumped in and Cummins cussed her out. He then asked for his gun, still upset.
Jagger says the two left the parade not long after.
Prosecutors believe the fight continued in the car.
They say that’s when 27-year-old Joshua Spann and others he was with jumped in to help break up the argument.
Moments later they say that’s when Spann and Auden Simpkins were shot and killed.
However, defense attorney Bill Kellum pushes back on those allegations saying, ”It goes without saying that the death of Auden is tragic, but the death took place due to the aggression of Kam Owens and Joshua Spann.”
Kellum alleges Spann and Owens pulled out their guns on Cummins and as a result, his client acted in self-defense.
”Jordan Cummins displayed his weapon after Russell and Spann displayed their weapons and directed them, aiming at Jordan Cummins and Jenny Lukens who was in front of him, protecting him from the assault.“
He goes on to say, ”When they pulled out their guns, when they approached Jordan’s Cummins’ car, and then started pulling out guns, they endangered the lives of everyone on the truck they’re in, it was completely unnecessary. All they had to do was knock on a window, and ask if everything was ok. Had they done that, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.
Copyright 2024 WLBT. All rights reserved.
