In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in Tupelo, Mississippi, the life of 21-year-old Madchen Sloan was cut short by a single gunshot. On October 15, 2019, Tupelo Police responded to a call at a residence on Leighton Drive around one o'clock, where they discovered the young man's body. The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound, and the case was immediately classified as a death investigation.
The alleged shooter, Daniel Gilbert, who was present at the scene, described the
incident as a tragic accident. According to Gilbert, he had picked Sloan up from work late the previous night. As they were about to enter Gilbert's home, Sloan pointed out that Gilbert had forgotten his gun in the truck. Gilbert stated that as he reached for the firearm, it accidentally discharged, striking and fatally wounding Sloan, whom he described as being like a brother to him.
A woman at the residence, Onilisa Zinn, administered CPR to Sloan in an attempt to save his life but was unsuccessful. She expressed deep remorse for the tragedy, emphasizing that Sloan was a welcome and frequent guest in their home, considered part of their family.
Following the shooting, Daniel Gilbert was taken into custody by the Tupelo Police Department for an unspecified amount of time. He was later released as the investigation into the circumstances of Madchen Sloan's death continued. At the time of the initial reports, the police had not classified the death as a criminal act and the investigation was considered ongoing. There have been no subsequent public announcements regarding any charges being filed against Gilbert in relation to the shooting.
