Carl the Rooster.Photo: Christina Louise Jackson/Facebook
Thanks to the efforts of a group of brokenhearted citizens, a 35-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly killing a cherished member of the Ocean Springs, Miss., community: Carl the Rooster.
“Carl was a local icon,” Ocean Springs resident Ron Kleber tells PEOPLE. “He was a friendly, neighborhood rooster. All the children loved him and everybody wanted pictures with him.”
Carl the Rooster was a regular at Twisted Anchor Tattoo, Kleber explains, but would “hang out downtown, visiting all the businesses and his friends.”
Added Kleber: “If you’ve hung out in downtown Ocean Springs, odds are you know who Carl is.”
“He brought a lot of joy to a lot of people down here,” Matt Stebly, owner of Twisted Anchor Tattoo, toldWLOX.com.
Sadly, Carl was killed over the weekend. Video cameras across from the tattoo parlor captured a group of people abducting Carl early Sunday morning after 3 a.m.
Carl’s remains have not been recovered yet, according to Kleber.
A number of memorials have been erected downtown in the beloved bird’s honor, including one outside the tattoo shop.
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Shaffer is due to appear in court on May 4, at which time she’ll be asked to enter a plea to the charge. She could not be reached for comment Friday, and information about her lawyer — if she has one — was not available.
Kleber tells PEOPLE that theBradford-O’Keefe Funeral Homehas donated a customized coffin for Carl, featuring photos of the renowned rooster along with the inscription, “Legends Never Die.”
Ocean Springs will soon host a New Orleans-style second line through the downtown area, celebrating Carl’s life. It will feature music fromBlackwater Brass, a local 9-piece funk and jazz band. A date for the event will be announced shortly.
source: people.com
