In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, a shooting in East Columbus, Mississippi, tragically cut short the life of 17-year-old LaBronze Moore. On the evening of Wednesday, November 22, 2023, gunshots rang out near a Ready Mart gas station in the 200 block of North McCrary Road. When police arrived shortly after 5 p.m., they found that Moore had been shot.
He was initially rushed to a local hospital before being transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson for more advanced care.
Despite the efforts of medical professionals, LaBronze Moore succumbed to his injuries around noon on Saturday, November 25, 2023. The scene of the shooting told a grim story, with investigators reportedly finding nearly 30 bullet casings, indicating the intensity of the violence that had unfolded. An autopsy was ordered to be performed at the State Medical Examiner's office in Pearl to officially determine the cause of death.
The investigation into the death of LaBronze Moore moved swiftly, and within days, authorities began to make arrests. In a significant development, six individuals were taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting. The suspects included 17-year-olds Johnny Coleman, Rasheed Neil, Kenzel Gayton, and Enry Meadows, along with 18-year-old Travaris Laquan Mixon Jr. and 24-year-old Rufus Lee Neil III. All six individuals faced the serious charge of murder.
During their initial appearance in Columbus Municipal Court, bond was denied for Coleman, Rasheed Neil, Gayton, and Mixon. Rufus Lee Neil III turned himself in to the Columbus Police Department, while Enry Meadows was apprehended at his home by a SWAT team. Authorities indicated that the investigation remained ongoing and that further arrests were possible.
