Burns addressed the matter publicly in a video statement posted to the Vicksburg Police Department’s Facebook page. He later provided written responses to The Vicksburg Post following emailed questions from the newspaper. Burns said he became aware of the issue in late December 2025 during a meeting with the district attorney. The matter was then incorporated into the department’s ongoing review of case documentation and tracking procedures to assess the scope of the issue and identify corrective steps. In his video remarks, Burns said the department has focused on evaluating staffing, training, and accountability within its investigations division.