On a Father's Day that would forever be marked by tragedy, 20-year-old Austin D. Wanzo was shot and killed in McComb, Mississippi. The young man, born on September 13, 1999, lost his life on June 21, 2020, while sitting in his car. The incident cut short the life of the former North Pike football player, leaving his family and community in mourning.
In the aftermath of the shooting, a suspect was identified and taken into custody.
Lacurtis Hackett, then 20 years old, was initially charged with manslaughter in connection with Wanzo's death. The charge brought a glimmer of hope for justice to a grieving family. Friends and relatives gathered for a vigil to remember Wanzo, releasing balloons into the sky in his memory, a poignant tribute to a life taken too soon.
Despite the initial arrest and charge, the legal proceedings took an unexpected turn. In August 2022, after more than two years of waiting for the case to move forward, a grand jury declined to indict Lacurtis Hackett. This decision meant that the case against him would not proceed to trial, leaving the family of Austin D. Wanzo without the legal resolution they had sought. The community was left to grapple with the loss of a young life and a justice system that, in this instance, did not lead to a conviction.
