In the spring of 2018, a young man's life was tragically cut short in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Mark Gould, a 20-year-old male, was fatally shot on the afternoon of Thursday, April 5, 2018. The incident occurred at the Pineview Apartments, where Gould was visiting family as he was not a resident of the complex. Authorities were called to the scene and discovered Gould's body on a sidewalk, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Investigations into the shooting revealed that an altercation had
taken place shortly before Gould was killed. It is believed that Gould may have been involved in this dispute and was attempting to leave the area when he was shot. While the conflict was not officially classified as gang-related, law enforcement did state that known members of various gangs were involved in the events leading to the shooting. This violent act marked the third homicide in Hattiesburg for that year.
Following the incident, two suspects turned themselves in to the Hattiesburg Police Department. Jonathon Darnell Jones, 26, of Laurel, was identified as the shooter and was subsequently charged with one count of murder. His cousin, 23-year-old Theodore Jones of Shubuta, also surrendered to the police and faced a charge of accessory after the fact to murder. The surrender of both men occurred by the Friday afternoon following the shooting, bringing a swift, initial resolution to the search for those responsible for Mark Gould's death.
