Suspect Charged in Shooting Death

By: Tom Daniels

Updated: Thu 5:52 PM, Sep 12, 2002

A manslaughter charge was filed Thursday against Ronnie Calvin long, 54, of Meridian, in connection with a fatal shooting Wednesday morning.

Fifty-four-year-old Donnie Gay of the Zero Community died at the hospital Wednesday night. He was gunned down during an apparent argument Wednesday off Crescent Lake Road.

Sheriff Billy Sollie explained why the charge is manslaughter and not murder.

"Most instructions to juries say that the prosecution has to show pre-meditation in order to determine it was murder," said Sollie. "There's no indication of pre-meditation by the individual charged."

Long's bond was set at $100,000.

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