Justin Keefe Bradley, a 39-year-old Black man from Crystal Springs, Mississippi, was fatally shot during the early morning hours of December 31, 2024. Crystal Springs Police Chief Robert Thomas said the shooting occurred on Beverly Circle. Bradley was struck by gunfire three times and was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:42 a.m.
Authorities did not immediately release details about what led to the shooting, whether Bradley had been specifically targeted, or whether an argument or other confrontation preceded the gunfire. :chatgpt-content-reference
In the hours after the killing, investigators had not publicly identified a suspect. Crystal Springs police appealed to the public for information as detectives worked to determine who was responsible. Bradley's death brought an abrupt end to the life of a longtime Crystal Springs resident who had been born November 6, 1985, at Hardy Wilson Memorial Hospital and had grown up in the community. He attended local schools before completing his education at Ms. Sandy's Christian School and later worked as an electrician's helper. He was also the father of two sons and was remembered by relatives as someone who took particular pride in supporting them and attending their sporting events. :chatgpt-content-reference
The investigation eventually focused on Joshua Green. On January 12, 2025, less than two weeks after the shooting, Crystal Springs police and Copiah County deputies located and arrested Green, who was 18 at the time. Officers took him into custody in the 5000 block of Mathis Road. Police said Green was wanted in connection with Bradley's shooting death, although the publicly available reports announcing the arrest did not specify the exact criminal charge filed against him. :chatgpt-content-reference
Following his arrest, Green was booked into the Copiah County Jail and was scheduled to make an initial appearance before a judge on January 13, 2025. Crystal Springs police credited Copiah County Sheriff Byron Swilley and investigators from both agencies for the work that led to the arrest, saying investigators had devoted extensive hours to locating the suspect and bringing him into custody. :chatgpt-content-reference
Publicly available news coverage located for the case does not provide further detail about a motive, the relationship between Bradley and Green, or the circumstances immediately surrounding the three gunshots. It also does not document a subsequent trial, guilty plea, or conviction for Green. The latest widely available reporting confirms his arrest and detention in connection with Bradley's killing, but does not establish a final judicial outcome in the case.
