Charlie Fairley, a 16-year-old Black male from Gulfport, Mississippi, was shot and killed on the afternoon of Sunday, September 1, 2024. Around 2:30 p.m., deputies from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire in the 13000 block of Robindale Road. They arrived to find Fairley lying in the street with a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
He was airlifted to USA Children’s Hospital in Mobile, Alabama, but he did not survive his injury.
Known to friends and family as “CJ,” Fairley was remembered as a talented basketball player with an unfailingly positive personality. A coach, Javoris, recalled his infectious smile, saying, “He had a smile that would light up the room. This is a hard one.” One of CJ’s friends added, “CJ was always there for you and was just a good friend. We miss him and we wish he was here with us.” His death devastated the community, which gathered for a vigil the following evening. Local representative Jeffery Hulum III expressed his sorrow and frustration over the cycle of youth violence.
According to investigators, the shooting stemmed from a fistfight between Fairley and another teenager. The altercation escalated, and Fairley was shot. Law enforcement acted quickly, taking a 14-year-old suspect, Javione D. Martin, into custody later that same day.
Martin was charged with second-degree murder and booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Facility. A Justice Court Judge, Brandon Ladner, set his bond at $1 million. The case concluded in May 2026, when a judge sentenced Javione Martin for the shooting death of Charlie Fairley.
