On June 7, 2020, a violent tragedy struck the community of Sikeston, Missouri, claiming the life of Kimyata Kwenshay Haynes. Kimyata, a 31-year-old female resident of Charleston, Missouri, was attending a social gathering in Sikeston when the incident occurred. The events unfolded in the early morning hours after officers from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety had already responded to the location following a noise complaint.
Although the party-goers had complied with police requests to lower the volume, the situation escalated shortly after law enforcement departed.
According to witness accounts and police reports, a vehicle drove past the residence where the group had gathered, and an occupant opened fire into the crowd. Kimyata was struck by the gunfire and was pronounced dead at the scene. She was not the only victim of the attack; Faquazia Wilson, a 20-year-old woman also from Charleston, was critically wounded and later died from her injuries at a local hospital. In addition to the two fatalities, seven other individuals present at the party sustained injuries during the drive-by shooting, which authorities later described as stemming from a feud involving drug sales and gang activity.
In the wake of the double homicide, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, assisted by the SEMO Major Case Squad, launched an intensive investigation that quickly identified multiple suspects. Authorities arrested three men in connection with the shooting: Deantrell Damon Beard, Antonio Marcus Johnson Jr., and Tyshonne Lamar Williams, all residents of Sikeston. The trio faced a litany of serious charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of first-degree assault, and nine counts of armed criminal action. Prosecutors alleged that the men acted together in the orchestrated attack that resulted in the deaths of the two women.
Following their arrests, Beard, Johnson, and Williams were held without bond as the legal process moved forward. The community, shaken by the sudden loss of Kimyata and Faquazia, held vigils to honor their memories. Kimyata, affectionately known as 'Nu-Nu' to her friends and family, was remembered as a loving mother and a spirited individual who had worked various jobs in the area. While the investigation highlighted the troubled undercurrents of local disputes, the focus for many remained on the two young lives cut short by the senseless act of violence.
