At around 2 a.m. on Sunday, Ahmad Hardy was trying to leave a rap concert at Kamakazy Biker Club in Laurel, Mississippi, when gunfire broke out outside the venue. The Missouri running back was shot in the upper leg, and police later arrested a 20-year-old man they believe was involved.

For the Laurel police, the case now turns from finding a name to building a clean case that can hold up once Harris is sent back to Mississippi. Now, after days of investigation, police say they have finally arrested the man they believe was responsible.

A 20-year-old Mississippi man, Rashodrick Harris, was taken into custody Thursday night in Paducah, Kentucky, in connection with the shooting. According to Sgt. Macon Davis of the Laurel Police Department, Harris is awaiting extradition back to Mississippi, where he is expected to face two counts of aggravated assault.

Police received a tip about Harris appearing on surveillance footage at a nearby convenience store. Detectives reviewed the video, captured a tag number tied to the scene, and then showed a still image to one of the victims. That victim identified Harris as one of the shooters. That mix of video, a plate number, and a witness point-by-point gave investigators the thread they needed to pull the case together.

Authorities entered Harris into a law enforcement database, and just after 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, officers in Kentucky located and arrested him. Harris is currently being held without bond on fugitive-related charges while Mississippi officials finalize extradition paperwork.

The curious thing here is that Paducah is roughly seven hours away from Laurel. Sgt. Davis admitted investigators still don’t know why Harris traveled there, but he made one thing crystal clear about what happens next.

“He’s going to be extradited one way or the other,” Davis told the paper. “If he fights it all the way, we’d have to end up with a governor’s warrant. But it absolutely will happen.”

Police also said they are still checking CCTV footage from nearby areas, so more arrests could happen later. Earlier this week, three 19-year-olds were taken into custody for questioning in connection with the shooting, but they were later released without any charges.

Laurel police now appear focused solely on Harris as the primary suspect after the video evidence and witness identification. Meanwhile, back in Columbia, Missouri, is dealing with the reality that its season suddenly revolves around the health of Ahmad Hardy.

How is Ahmad Hardy coping?

Ahmad Hardy has already been discharged from the Mississippi hospital where he underwent surgery and is now back in Columbia continuing recovery with Mizzou’s medical staff. But as of now, even head coach Eli Drinkwitz doesn’t know whether his star RB will suit up this fall.

“We’ll take it day by day,” he said at a Dallas event this week. “He will be back healthy. You know, when you’re dealing with elite athletes, getting back healthy and getting back to elite status is a little tricky in these situations. There is an opportunity he could be back this year; there is an opportunity he couldn’t be back this year. We won’t know those answers for a few weeks.”

The former Louisiana-Monroe transfer became one of the best players in the country after arriving in Columbia. Last season, Ahmad Hardy rushed for 1,649 yards last season, second-most in the FBS, while scoring 16 touchdowns and helping Missouri finish 8-5. His impressive season earned him SEC Newcomer of the Year honors, and he became a consensus All-American and finished as a Doak Walker Award finalist. 

Multiple early mock drafts already have him listed as the top RB prospect available in 2027. For an RB whose biggest asset is his legs, this is a very heartbreaking situation for Ahmad Hardy. The case will now move through extradition and the next round of charges.