On the evening of March 26, 2025, a domestic altercation at a residence on Santa Fe Avenue in the St. Martin community of Mississippi escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 20-year-old Devin O'Neal McDaniel. The young Black/African American man was fatally shot during the dispute. When deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff's Department arrived at the scene around 10:15 p.m., they discovered McDaniel had succumbed to his injuries. His mother, Rosland McDaniel, was also found with life-threatening gunshot wounds and was airlifted to a hospital in New Orleans for urgent medical care.
Investigators quickly identified 24-year-old Karis Hamilton as the primary suspect in the double shooting. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Hamilton fled the scene, taking his four young children, all under the age of seven, with him. This sparked a search for the children, which concluded the following morning when they were found safe at a relative's home in Gautier.
By 5 a.m. the morning after the shooting, law enforcement located and arrested Karis Hamilton in the same Santa Fe neighborhood where the incident occurred. He was subsequently charged with murder and domestic violence aggravated assault. A Jackson County judge denied him bond, citing the potential danger he posed to the public. In a further development, Hamilton's mother, 41-year-old Monica Lynn Hall, was also arrested and charged with hindering prosecution in connection with the case. Authorities alleged that she attempted to prevent law enforcement from discovering facts related to the search for her son and grandchildren.
