Violent crime has surged in Lincoln County recently, with five people being killed in the past four months. 

Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said the spike in violent crimes could be the result of a general disregard for human life. Brookhaven Police Chief Bobby Bell said an increase in violence on TV and in music could be one cause of the violence in his city.

In 2014, BPD reported 4 murders and LCSD reported 0.

The spike began at the end of last year with the Christmas Eve shooting death of Demetrius Wilson. Yaquilla Washington, 27, was arrested that same day and has since been indicted for murder charges by a grand jury.

Then on Jan. 14, the body of a woman, later found out to be Monticello resident Kimberly Yolanda Jones, was discovered on Crooked Lane in Brookhaven by a mail carrier. Her boyfriend at the time, James Haines, was arrested in connection to her murder.

Almost two months later on March 13, a disagreement between two men resulted in the death of one of the men, Jermaine Sims Sr., and his daughter, Jamiyah Sims. From that incident, three others were hospitalized — Jermaine’s wife, Victoria Sims, and two of his other children, Takial and Jermaine Jr.

The suspect, Jimmy Lyons, was arrested initially on five counts of aggravated assault, but after the deaths of Jermaine and Jamiyah Sims, the charges were upgraded to two counts of murder and three counts of aggravated assault.

On April 2, Timothy Green of Lincoln County was killed in a shooting on Spur Lane. The suspect, Fred Hill, is currently in jail charged with murder.

“An argument is something that doesn’t need to be carried that far,” Rushing said about the nature from which a lot of violent crimes stem.

Rushing said if someone is involved with an argument that has the potential to become something more, his advice is to try and disengage or de-escalate the situation.

“It’s hard to do, but the best thing is to get out of it and get away from the situation,” Rushing said. “A lot of things could have been prevented by walking away or turning the other cheek.”

Bell shares a similar sentiment, saying “it takes a braver man to walk away than to stay and fight.”

Rushing said it has been about two years since a violent crime of the nature on Spur Lane has been committed in the county. He said more people need to realize that life is precious. He stressed that an argument does not have to be a reason for someone losing their life.

“Times have changed,” Bell said. He said when a shooting takes place now, it’s likely that children as young as 1 or 2 years old will show up at the scene with their parents or guardians and see people lying on the ground with a sheet over them.

He also attributes the shift to more violence to the violence that’s common in television, music and video games.

“I don’t care what anybody says, it affects our society,” Bell said. “If you see violence, look at violence, you can’t produce anything but violence.”

He suggests that everybody stay alert, mind their “Ps and Qs” and report anything suspicious to the police department.

“It’s what we’re paid to do, take phone calls — no matter how serious or minute,” he said.