In the early morning hours of February 12, 2024, a dispute over a ten-dollar vape pen in Gulfport, Mississippi, escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 16-year-old Zaelyn Braxton. Known to his loved ones as Zae Pooh, Spite, Man-man, and Zae, the young man was found deceased from gunshot wounds in the doorway of a residence on Kenwood Drive. The Harrison County Coroner's Office later confirmed his identity. Zaelyn, a Black male, was a former student at Central Middle School with aspirations of obtaining his GED and pursuing a trade in construction to become an electrician. At the age of 15, he had even started his own clothing line called “Lost Soul.”
The events leading to Zaelyn's death began with a verbal altercation with 18-year-old Elijah Lamar Eckford. Investigators determined that Eckford had traveled to Braxton's location, where the argument over the vape pen ensued. During the confrontation, Eckford allegedly discharged his firearm multiple times, striking Braxton before fleeing the scene. Responding to reports of the shooting at approximately 2:19 a.m., Gulfport Police officers discovered Braxton's body.
The subsequent investigation led to the swift arrest of three individuals. Elijah Lamar Eckford was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder for his alleged role as the shooter. Two other men were also implicated in the crime. Tai'shawn Rashaud Holloway, 21, was charged with accessory after the fact. Authorities stated that Holloway drove Eckford to the location, waited while the shooting occurred, and then transported him away from the scene. The third suspect, 21-year-old Christopher Dirrell Fletcher, was also charged with accessory after the fact, with police alleging that he provided the firearm used in the incident to Eckford. Fletcher was initially arrested for marijuana possession before the more serious charge was added as details of the case emerged. All three suspects were booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Center to await further legal proceedings.
