In the midnight hour of September 14, 2022, tragedy struck in Brookhaven, Mississippi, claiming the life of Mashonna S. Dunnigan, a 44-year-old Black female. Dunnigan was driving on South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive when a stray bullet pierced her vehicle, inflicting a fatal wound. Inside the car with her was her son, who was blessedly unharmed in the incident.
Brookhaven Police responded to a call of shots fired in the area just after midnight.
A second call minutes later reported a woman shot in her car. First responders discovered Dunnigan in her vehicle, which had come to a stop by a local convenience store. The investigation into her death is being treated as a homicide, with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation lending their assistance to the local police department.
Authorities believe Dunnigan was not the intended target of the gunfire, but rather an innocent victim caught in the crossfire. In the days following the shooting, police conducted thorough searches of the area, looking for shell casings and any other evidence that could lead them to the person or persons responsible.
Despite their efforts, the investigation has been hampered by a lack of cooperation from the public. While police have indicated that they have suspects, no arrests have been made in the case. Law enforcement officials have appealed to the community for anyone with information to come forward, stressing that 'street justice is no justice.' They have also urged the family and community to remain calm and allow the legal process to unfold, hoping to prevent any retaliatory violence. The investigation into Mashonna Dunnigan's death remains ongoing as her family and community await answers and hope for justice.
