On the morning of September 27, 2020, a violent incident unfolded in Okolona, Mississippi, that claimed the life of a local father and son. Malcolm Jamal Boone, a 32-year-old Black male known affectionately to his friends and family as "King," was the victim of a fatal shooting that took place at the Okolona Terrace Apartments. The disturbance began in the pre-dawn hours of that Sunday, disrupting the quiet of the Sabbath with gunfire that drew the immediate attention of local law enforcement
and emergency responders.
Officers from the Okolona Police Department responded to the scene off Gatlin Street, where they discovered Boone with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the arrival of help, he had sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Chickasaw County Coroner. The violence of the morning also resulted in injuries to a second individual who was found at the location and subsequently transported to a hospital for medical treatment. The event marked a sudden and tragic end for Boone, who was a native of the area and had attended Okolona schools.
Law enforcement moved quickly in the wake of the shooting. Approximately thirty minutes after the incident occurred, police apprehended a suspect identified as Tracy Baskin Jr. following a brief investigation. Baskin was taken into custody and formally charged with murder in connection with Boone's death. He was transported to the Chickasaw County Regional Correctional Facility to await further legal proceedings. While the swift arrest provided some immediate answers, the investigation remained active as authorities sought to piece together the full circumstances that led to the deadly encounter.
The loss rippled through the Okolona community, leaving a void for Boone's family, including his mother, Jamie Boone, and his children, Patience, Kamauray, and Malik. Friends and relatives remembered him as a beloved figure in the neighborhood, a sentiment reflected in the outpouring of grief that followed the news of his passing. As the legal process against the accused began, the family was left to mourn the untimely death of a man who had deep roots in the small Mississippi town.
