In the summer of 2022, a burst of gunfire at a Jackson, Mississippi apartment complex tragically cut short the life of 17-year-old Laquarries Giles. On the afternoon of July 20th, Giles was with other teenagers when a black SUV carrying three individuals, later identified as Markavius Coleman, 27, and Alexander Watson, 32, along with a third unidentified person, opened fire on the group.
Giles and his companions returned fire in a chaotic exchange that left the SUV riddled with bullet holes.
Giles was critically wounded in the shootout and rushed to a local hospital. He succumbed to his injuries the following day, marking the 76th homicide in Jackson for that year. His mother, Anastasha Nichols, was by his side and later expressed her profound grief over the loss of her son, who was about to enter his senior year of high school. She had eagerly anticipated seeing him graduate and embark on a promising future.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, both Coleman and Watson were transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center to be treated for gunshot wounds they sustained during the exchange. Initially, they faced four counts of aggravated assault. However, following Giles' death, the charges against them were expected to be upgraded. On July 23, 2022, Alexander Watson was arrested and formally charged with capital murder and three counts of aggravated assault. The search for the third suspect involved in the deadly encounter continued as the community mourned yet another young life lost to gun violence.
