In the small town of Brooksville, Mississippi, a burst of gunfire on December 3, 2021, shattered the evening and ended the life of 18-year-old Dewane’drien Dequan Johnson. Johnson, a Black male known to his friends and family as 'Homa,' was a student at Noxubee County High School. He was born on April 22, 2003, in Starkville, Mississippi. Friends and family remembered him for his love of basketball, animals, and spending time with his loved ones, recalling a loyal and humorous young man with
a vibrant personality.
The fatal incident unfolded at the B&B Store in Brooksville. Johnson was shot while inside a vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting also claimed the life of 24-year-old Nakiren Ratcliff, who later succumbed to his injuries. A third individual was critically wounded in the violent encounter. The community was left in mourning, grappling with the sudden and tragic loss of two young lives.
In the wake of the shooting, the Noxubee County Sheriff's Department and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation launched a homicide investigation. Their efforts led to the arrests of two suspects, Jaquraus Wells and Kendal Thomas, in connection with the killings. Both men were charged with two counts of capital murder and aggravated assault. Thomas faced an additional charge of a drive-by shooting. Following their arrests, Wells' bond was set at $1.2 million, and Thomas's at $1.3 million, and they were held in separate facilities pending legal proceedings.
