Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Meridian Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison Under Project EJECT for Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone
Jackson, Miss. – Tirale Orlando Reed, 38, of Meridian, Mississippi, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge David C. Bramlette III to 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in a school zone, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 15, 2016, at an apartment complex in Meridian, a confrontation between Reed and another individual turned violent, and Reed shot and killed the individual. Reed fled the scene and, while passing through the grounds of a school, threw his .45 caliber handgun into a creek bed near 44th Avenue. Reed was subsequently charged with murder in the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, which is still pending.
Reed was charged in a federal Criminal Information with possession of a firearm in a school zone. He pled guilty before Judge Bramlette on August 4, 2020.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
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