On June 11, 2023, in Hallsville, Texas, 49-year-old Duane Demond Jernigan and his 29-year-old son, Keyan Jernigan, were fatally shot outside a residence on Roberson Road. Responding to reports of gunfire around 7:36 p.m., Harrison County Sheriff's deputies discovered both men unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds.
Witnesses provided a description of the suspect's vehicle, a black Chevrolet Tahoe, which was soon spotted by Hallsville Police. The driver, identified as 26-year-old Darius Celedra Gates Jr., attempted to flee, leading officers on a pursuit that concluded on Fredonia Street off Highway 80 in Longview, where he was apprehended.
Gates was charged with capital murder of multiple persons, evading arrest with a vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession and delivery of marijuana. He was booked into the Harrison County Jail without bond.
In November 2023, a Harrison County grand jury indicted Gates for the capital murders of Duane and Keyan Jernigan, alleging that both homicides occurred during the same criminal act.
Duane Jernigan was remembered in a celebration of life held on June 17, 2023, at Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas. He was interred at Rosehill Gardens Cemetery.
