In the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 20, 2022, the life of 44-year-old Michael Smith, a male resident of Holly Springs, Mississippi, was tragically cut short. Officers responded to a call at approximately 8:56 a.m. and discovered Smith unresponsive and lying face down in the 400 block of Craft Street. He had sustained a gunshot wound to the back, which appeared to have been inflicted at close range. The coroner pronounced him dead at the scene, and his body was subsequently transported to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy. Smith was known in the community as the manager of the local Dollar Tree, where he was well-liked by customers who remembered his outgoing and helpful personality.
Following the incident, a multi-agency manhunt was launched for the suspect, who had fled the scene. The search involved the U.S. Marshals, Holly Springs Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives the Mississippi Highway Patrol, and officers from both DeSoto and Marshall County Sheriff's Offices. The suspect was identified as 30-year-old David Earl Thomas Jr.
After evading capture for about five hours, the pursuit came to a peaceful end. Thomas's mother intervened, convincing her son to surrender to the authorities. At 2 p.m., in the parking lot of Starlite Grocery, Thomas turned himself in. He was subsequently charged with murder. A judge later denied him bond, deeming him a flight risk due to his initial attempt to flee. Investigators believe the shooting may have stemmed from a domestic dispute. Thomas later cooperated with law enforcement, leading them to a handgun on Higdon Road that is believed to be the weapon used in the shooting.
