On the evening of what should have been a memorable night, 17-year-old Saturah Hayes was tragically killed in a shooting on May 8, 2026, in Brownsville, Tennessee. A student at Haywood High School, she had gathered with her classmates at Webb Banks Passive Park to take photographs before their prom. The festive atmosphere of students in gowns and tuxedos was shattered by gunfire, which resulted in Hayes's death and left four other individuals wounded. Following the incident, the prom was canceled, and schools were closed the following Monday to allow the community to grieve.
Saturah was remembered by her teachers and the school superintendent as a dedicated and hardworking student with a positive attitude and a bright future ahead of her. The community of Brownsville was left heartbroken by the senseless act of violence, with residents and local officials expressing their grief and shock. In the days following the shooting, community members lined the streets to pay their respects as Saturah's body was escorted to the funeral home. Her mother made an emotional plea to the public, asking for anyone with information to come forward to help bring justice for her daughter.
The investigation into the shooting, led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Brownsville Police Department, soon identified a suspect. On May 19, 2026, a Haywood County Grand Jury indicted 18-year-old Dequarius “DQ” Lax on 22 counts, including the first-degree murder of Saturah Hayes and six counts of attempted first-degree murder for the other individuals who were shot. Authorities announced that a manhunt was underway for Lax, who is considered armed and dangerous, with the U.S. Marshals Service seeking public assistance in locating him. This case is an active and ongoing investigation with a suspect who has been publicly identified and charged but remains at large. The core of the case revolves around a joyous community event that turned into a scene of violence, resulting in the death of a young woman and injuries to several others.
