On the afternoon of June 23, 2021, a domestic dispute escalated into violence at a residence on 26th Street North in Columbus, Mississippi, claiming the life of Jayda Brewer, an 8-year-old Black or African American female. The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m., disrupting the quiet of the neighborhood as gunfire erupted following an argument inside the home. Authorities arrived to find a chaotic scene where the young girl was discovered deceased in the driveway, having apparently attempted to flee the residence during the altercation.
Inside the house, law enforcement officers found Jayda's mother, 49-year-old Erica Bush Brewer, suffering from gunshot wounds. She was treated at the scene and subsequently transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle before being airlifted to a trauma center in Jackson for higher-level care. despite the medical efforts to save her, she succumbed to her injuries later that same day. The Lowndes County Coroner confirmed that the young girl died at the scene, while her mother passed away hours later, marking a double tragedy for the family and the local community.
Police quickly identified a suspect, Jaquenton Bush, who was 22 years old at the time of the shooting. He was the son of Erica Bush Brewer and the brother of Jayda. Officers apprehended him near the scene of the crime shortly after the shooting occurred. According to the Columbus Police Department, the violence stemmed from a verbal altercation among family members that turned deadly when a weapon was introduced. Witnesses reported hearing as many as fifteen shots fired during the incident.
Following his arrest, Jaquenton Bush was charged with two counts of capital murder. He was held at the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center without bond. The legal process moved forward the following year when a Lowndes County grand jury returned an indictment against him in May 2022. The indictment formally accused him of the capital murder of his sister and mother. As of the last public updates regarding the proceedings, the case was moving through the court system, though a specific trial date had not been immediately finalized following the indictment.
