A sense of community and the thrill of a Friday night football game in Belzoni, Mississippi, turned to tragedy on August 21, 2026, marking the untimely death of 16-year-old JaKamryn Price. An African American student and a dedicated football player at Humphreys County High School, Price was a junior known for his role as a defensive end and tight end for the Cowboys. The evening had been spent on the field, at a football scrimmage hosted by the high school. However, in the hours that followed the game, a violent act cut his life short.
The shooting occurred near the 300 block of Third Street in Belzoni, where Price was fatally wounded. The news of his death sent shockwaves through the Humphreys County community, leaving his family, friends, teammates, and the school district to grapple with the sudden and tragic loss. In the wake of the incident, the Humphreys County School District expressed its profound grief and announced that additional grief counseling and support services would be made available to both students and staff to help them cope with the devastating event.
The Belzoni Police Department, with the assistance of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, launched a homicide investigation into the shooting of JaKamryn Price. Despite the ongoing investigation, authorities have not yet released any information regarding a possible motive for the shooting, nor have they publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the case. The case remains an active and ongoing investigation, with law enforcement appealing to the public for any information that might lead to a breakthrough. As the community mourns, many questions surrounding the death of the young football player remain unanswered, and the pursuit of justice for JaKamryn Price continues.