A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for any information leading to an arrest in the Feb. 9, 2020, shooting and killing of Frederick Hunt Jr.

Natchez Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said the board for Southwest Mississippi Crime Stoppers met Wednesday to approve offering a reward of $5,000 with additional money being offered by the Hunt family.

The investigation of Hunt’s death is turning cold with nearly two years since the incident and no suspects arrested.

At the time of the incident, former Police Chief Walter Armstrong said Hunt was shot to death in broad daylight at approximately 2 p.m. Sunday, February 9, 2020, during what appeared to be a drive-by shooting on Lamar Street in Natchez. Armstrong said Adams County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Response Team assisted in the investigation and recovered a vacant vehicle believed to have been used during the shooting.

Adams County Coroner James Lee told reporters that Hunt was shot at least two times, with one fatal shot to the chest.

Daughtry said Friday that with the police department and media requesting information with Crime Stoppers, few people have responded.

“Someone isn’t randomly riding around shooting people,” Daughtry said. “That doesn’t happen, at least not in Natchez. A lot of times people know who it is but won’t tell us for some reason. I don’t know if it’s out of fear of retaliation or what. The only way we can bring justice is for people to work with us.”

Daughtry said the Crime Stoppers program has been revamped since it was started so that those reporting can be assured that they will remain anonymous.

“We went the extra mile to get a number that has nothing to do with Natchez so that people wouldn’t call and talk to a person from here and be recognized,” Daughtry said.

Crime Stoppers is an international program that offers anonymity and cash rewards to those who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction against criminal offenders.

Information is received through a 24-hour TIPS line (888) 442-5001 or a P3 tips app.

The information is then routed to the appropriate enforcement agency for further action.

All callers who call to the TIPS line are assigned a code number as the only means of identification. The code number is used in all communication with crime stoppers and the payment of cash rewards.

Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit program with all reward payments funded through private donations. No public money is involved in the payment of rewards.