On a Sunday evening in Crenshaw, Mississippi, the life of 24-year-old Derrick Small Jr. was cut short in a hail of gunfire. The shooting occurred on October 24, 2021, at the Marie Lyles Meadows Apartments. Small Jr. and another young man, 19-year-old Deshun Anderson, were both killed in the attack that also left three other people wounded. Investigators at the scene recovered nearly 100 spent shell casings from multiple firearms, indicating the intensity of the violence that shattered the
evening. The nature of the incident led authorities to believe it was a targeted and retaliatory act, not a random burst of violence.
The investigation into the double homicide soon revealed a complex backstory. Authorities believed the shooting in Crenshaw was connected to another murder in Horn Lake, Mississippi. At the time of his death, Derrick Small Jr. was awaiting trial for a 2020 murder charge in that city. This connection suggested that the violence that claimed his life was part of a larger, ongoing conflict that may have been gang-related. The web of violence spanning multiple communities pointed to a deliberate and calculated execution rather than a spontaneous altercation.
In the weeks following the deadly shooting, law enforcement identified a primary suspect, Quinton Cortez Taylor. A multi-agency search for the 21-year-old ensued, involving local law enforcement and the U.S. Marshals. The pursuit of Taylor extended beyond Quitman County, as he was also a person of interest in other shootings in Tate and Panola Counties. The manhunt came to an end on December 8, 2021, when U.S. Marshals located and arrested Taylor in an apartment complex in Memphis, Tennessee. Following his capture, Taylor faced serious charges for his alleged role in the Crenshaw shooting, including two counts of felony murder and three counts of aggravated assault. Information regarding the trial, and a potential conviction or acquittal for Quinton Cortez Taylor in connection with the death of Derrick Small Jr. is not available in the online sources.
