Kejuan Williams, a 20-year-old man from Horn Lake, Mississippi, was killed late Saturday night, June 13, 2026, after police were called to a home in the 5200 block of Chickasaw Cove near Warning Road. Officers with the Horn Lake Police Department were dispatched around 11:15 p.m. after reports of a shooting, and when they arrived, they found Williams suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The shooting unfolded inside or near a residential setting, turning a quiet Horn Lake neighborhood into the center of a homicide investigation before midnight. Investigators said Williams and the suspected shooter knew each other before the violence, but they had not determined a motive in the immediate aftermath. Police described the case as an isolated incident, suggesting they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the broader public.
Authorities identified 19-year-old Elijah Avent of Horn Lake as the suspected shooter. Police said Avent fled the scene before officers arrived, but investigators were able to identify him during the early stages of the case. He was later located and taken into custody without incident.
Avent was booked into the DeSoto County Jail on the morning of Sunday, June 14, 2026, at about 9:30 a.m. He was charged with one count of murder and was being held without bond. Booking information listed his full name as Elijah Jeriel Avent, and jail records showed the arresting agency as the Horn Lake Police Department.
As of the available reports, the case remained under investigation, with police still working to determine what led to the fatal shooting. Avent was scheduled for a court appearance on July 16, 2026, while Williams’ death left his community mourning a sudden and violent loss.
