In the small town of Jonesboro, Louisiana, the life of 27-year-old Bre’Untae JaWon Hicks was cut tragically short on the night of October 7, 2023. A festive Friday evening, which had included a homecoming football game for Jonesboro-Hodge High School, took a dark turn in the late hours. It was at a local Circle K convenience store where the events that led to Hicks's death unfolded.
At approximately 11:40 p.m., a 911 call reported shots fired in the parking lot of the convenience
store. When officers from the Jonesboro Police Department and deputies from the Jackson Parish Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene, they discovered a male subject with a gunshot wound. Emergency medical services transported Hicks to Jackson Parish Hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The investigation into the homicide was taken over by the Jackson Parish Sheriff's Office at the request of the Jonesboro City Police.
In the days following the shooting, an arrest was made in connection with the death of Bre’Untae Hicks. Terrion S. Atkins, Jr., an 18-year-old from Jonesboro, was taken into custody in Ruston on a charge of second-degree murder. An arrest warrant had been issued for Atkins, who was described by the Jackson Parish Sheriff as a repeat offender. The altercation that led to the fatal shooting is believed to have started after the homecoming football game. Hicks was the son of Terrance Blankenship, the head football coach at Jonesboro-Hodge High School.
Bre’Untae, affectionately known as “Tè” by his schoolmates, was a 2015 graduate of Jonesboro-Hodge High School. He went on to earn a technical degree in welding from Delta Community College and worked as a millwright at Jeld-Wen in Dodson, Louisiana. He was also a talented photographer and videographer, serving as the CEO of Bear Vizuals Photography and Videography. Known for his polite and kind demeanor and an infectious smile, his passions included hunting, fishing, and riding motorcycles. His death was a profound loss for his family, friends, and the tight-knit community of Jonesboro.
