On March 26, 2024, a tragic incident occurred in Holmes County, Florida, resulting in the death of 25-year-old Marcus Kale Fournier from Bonifay. The events unfolded when a car, driven by Anthony Hicks Jr. of Kinard, with his father Anthony Hicks Sr. as a passenger, crashed on County Road 173 just outside of Bonifay. The vehicle, traveling northbound at a high speed, failed to negotiate a curve, leading to it rolling over, hitting a fence, a tree, and a culvert before landing on its roof.
Both occupants of the car, despite the severity of the crash, escaped serious injury.
Marcus Kale Fournier, who was driving southbound on the same road, stopped to assist the two men involved in the crash. What transpired next is not entirely clear, but it is known that Fournier was shot and died at the scene. First responders initially thought Fournier had been ejected from the car, only to discover later that he had been shot.
Anthony Hicks Jr., one of the individuals Fournier was trying to help, had called 911 after the crash but did not mention the shooting during the call. He was described as being "irrational, kind of talking out of his mind and talking crazy" by Holmes County Sheriff John Tate. Hicks Jr. has been charged with an open count of murder and is currently being held at the Calhoun County Jail on a separate warrant for aggravated battery on a pregnant victim, which occurred on March 21.
The investigation into Fournier's death is ongoing, with Sheriff Tate emphasizing that there is no apparent connection between Fournier and the Hicks. The Sheriff's Office is working closely with the State Attorney’s Office to determine the full circumstances of the shooting and to establish who is responsible.
Fournier, born on February 11, 1999, in Clearwater, is survived by his young son, Calvin Kale Fournier; his mother, Ame’ Patrice Fournier; his father, Mark Fournier; his sister, Kenzie Taylor Benware; his maternal grandmother, Pat Hice; and his paternal grandfather, Conrad Fournier. Funeral services for Fournier were scheduled for April 4 at Sims Funeral Home Chapel in Bonifay, with interment to follow at Bonifay Cemetery.
The community has come together to support Fournier's family, with a GoFundMe account set up to help cover funeral expenses. The incident has been described as a rare and puzzling case, with law enforcement continuing to piece together the events surrounding Fournier's tragic death.
