Ernest Walters was a 21-year-old Black man from Jackson, Mississippi, remembered by loved ones as sweet, loving, funny, respectful, and humble. Known to some by nicknames like "2 E" and "2 Man," his life was cut short in the spring of 2022.
On the evening of Mother’s Day, May 8, 2022, Walters was on the 800 block of Lindbergh Drive. According to police, he and another man had come to the area to meet someone when gunfire erupted. Walters was shot multiple times and rushed to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. A 23-year-old man who was with him was also shot twice but survived with what police described as non-life-threatening injuries.
The Jackson Police Department investigated the shooting, which was one of six homicides that occurred in the city during a particularly violent weekend. The string of deaths prompted Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba to publicly express his sorrow and offer condolences to the victims' families. Investigators stated that the shooting of Ernest Walters was connected to a drug debt.
The investigation progressed quickly, and just three days later, authorities announced an arrest. On May 11, 2022, police charged 14-year-old Isaiah Myles with the murder of Ernest Walters and with aggravated assault for the wounding of the second victim. According to court records, an individual with the same name and birthdate had been arrested months earlier on charges including armed carjacking and armed robbery, but those charges were dismissed after a grand jury declined to indict him.
The case against Isaiah Myles was proceeding through the justice system. The latest reported development was his arrest and charging in May 2022.
