In the small community of Conehatta, Mississippi, the life of 20-year-old Adrion Jayden Simmons, a Black / African American male, was cut tragically short on the night of February 16, 2024. Simmons, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, had moved to Newton County to build a future for himself and his two young daughters. He was fatally shot at a residence on Campus Drive, near Conehatta Elementary School, at approximately 10 p.m.
Law enforcement from the Choctaw Police Department were the
first to arrive at the scene. Upon discovering that neither the victim nor the suspect were Tribal members, they handed the investigation over to the Newton County Sheriff's Office. When deputies arrived, they found Simmons deceased from gunshot wounds.
Present at the scene was 21-year-old Qualee Fryer of Philadelphia, Mississippi. Fryer was detained by Choctaw Police and subsequently taken into custody by Newton County deputies. Following interviews concerning the incident, authorities charged Fryer with murder.
Two days after the shooting, on Sunday, February 18, 2024, Justice Court Judge Justin Chaney denied bond for Fryer. While an arrest has been made, the investigation into the specific circumstances and motive that led to the fatal shooting is still ongoing. Authorities have not yet released further details about what precipitated the event that ended Adrion Simmons' life.
