In the early morning hours of March 23, 2023, in Bassfield, Mississippi, a series of events unfolded that would end in the tragic death of 25-year-old Keenan KJ McLaurin. The Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Department received a call around 4 a.m. reporting gunfire on Hosey Mikell Road. A deputy responded to the area but found no signs of disturbance or individuals.
The quiet of the morning returned, masking the violence that had transpired.
Later that day, a request for a welfare check at a residence on the same road led deputies to a grim discovery. Keenan McLaurin was found deceased, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound. The initial quiet of the scene gave way to a full-scale homicide investigation, with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation called in to assist the local sheriff's department in piecing together the events that led to McLaurin's death.
The following morning, on March 24, 2023, a significant development occurred in the case. A 25-year-old man from the nearby town of Prentiss, Diawon Gray, walked into the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Department and surrendered to authorities. He admitted his involvement in the shooting that had led to Keenan McLaurin's death.
Following his confession, Diawon Gray was arrested and formally charged with manslaughter. He appeared before a Jefferson Davis County Court judge who set his bond at $25,000. Gray was able to post the bond and was subsequently released from custody. The investigation into the death of Keenan McLaurin continues as the legal process moves forward.
