In the quiet early morning hours of January 2, 2022, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, a police officer responded to a dispatch call that would irrevocably alter the course of her life. Officer Laquandia Cooley arrived at the scene on Larkin Street to find a young man lying in the road, the victim of a fatal gunshot wound. In a heart-wrenching turn of events, she soon realized the victim was her own 20-year-old son, Charles Stewart Jr.
The young man, a male, had sustained a gunshot wound to his head.
The initial shock and grief of the discovery were profound for the family. Stewart's father, Charles Stewart Sr., expressed the family's trauma and their struggle to comprehend why anyone would harm his son, describing him as someone who got along with everyone. The tragic circumstance of a police officer discovering her own child as a homicide victim sent ripples of sorrow through the community.
Due to the direct involvement of an officer's family member, the Hazlehurst Police Department handed the investigation over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation to ensure impartiality. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement officials stated that they had not yet identified any suspects and no arrests had been made. The investigation into the death of Charles Stewart Jr. was launched, leaving a family and a community awaiting answers and justice for a life cut short. As of the latest available information, there have been no public updates regarding any arrests or the identification of any suspects in connection with his murder.
