In the early morning hours of September 19, 2021, a violent encounter at the Olive Tree Hotel on I-55 North Frontage Road in Jackson, Mississippi, left two men dead, including 33-year-old Josh Casaus. A White / Caucasian male, Casaus was discovered by police on the third floor of the hotel, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound. The events that led to his death began to unfold as officers responded to reports of gunfire at the location.
Upon their arrival, Jackson Police Department officers were confronted by 31-year-old Dishawn Sanders, who was a resident at the hotel. When officers reached the third floor, Sanders opened fire on them. The officers returned fire, and in the ensuing exchange, Sanders was shot and killed. It was after this confrontation that police found the body of Josh Casaus.
The investigation into the tragic incident was handed over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, a standard procedure for any shooting involving law enforcement officers. While the immediate threat was neutralized with the death of Sanders, the motive for the initial shooting of Casaus remained unclear. The incident left the local community and those at the hotel, who were familiar with Sanders, in a state of shock and searching for answers.
