On a tragic Tuesday morning in Southaven, Mississippi, Brandon Gales, a 38-year-old man, was fatally shot at his workplace. The incident, which occurred on July 30, 2019, at the Walmart on Southcrest Parkway, also resulted in the death of another employee, 40-year-old Anthony Brown. Gales, who had been a dedicated employee of the company for 16 years and had recently been promoted to department manager, was a father of three.
The events unfolded when a disgruntled fellow employee, 39-year-old Martez Terrell Abram, opened fire. Abram, who had been suspended the previous day, returned to the store and targeted his colleagues. The shooting began in the parking lot and continued inside the store. In addition to killing Gales and Brown, Abram also shot and wounded a Southaven police officer, who was saved by his bulletproof vest. Another officer returned fire, wounding Abram and leading to his capture.
Following the shooting, Abram was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for treatment of his injuries. He was subsequently charged with two counts of murder. After his release from the hospital, Abram was extradited from Memphis, Tennessee, to Mississippi to face the charges.
Martez Abram's trial took place in November 2022. In December 2022, a DeSoto County jury found him guilty of two counts of capital murder and one count of attempted murder. Abram was sentenced to death for his crimes and is currently on death row at the Mississippi State Penitentiary.
