In the fading daylight of a February evening in Greenwood, Mississippi, the life of 15-year-old Robert Love, Jr. was tragically cut short. On Saturday, February 17, 2018, at approximately 6 p.m., Love was gunned down at the Brazil Homes apartments. A student at Amanda Elzy High School, his death marked the second fatal shooting of a teenager at that same apartment complex in a short period.
The investigation into the male teenager's death quickly led authorities to a suspect. Tashun Lott, an 18-year-old student at Greenwood High School, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The arrest was made based on the sworn affidavit of an eyewitness who claimed to have seen the shooting. At the time of his arrest for Love's murder, Lott was already out on felony bond for a separate aggravated assault charge. A judge denied him bond on the murder charge and revoked his previous bond.
Law enforcement officials believed the shooting was not a random act of violence. They suspected that Love was specifically targeted and that his murder could be connected to an ongoing feud between two rival factions in the area. Authorities indicated that Lott was associated with one of these factions. It was also noted by the sheriff that Love himself had a previous arrest. Ten months prior to his death, he and five others had been charged in connection with a shooting at a local country club that resulted in an employee being wounded.
Despite the arrest and the belief that the shooting was targeted, the investigation continued. As of late 2023, the case against Tashun Lott was still progressing through the legal system. A weekly criminal docket for Leflore County indicated that Tashun Lott was scheduled for a trial during the October 2023 term, with the specific week of November 13, 2023, noted for the proceedings. He was facing a charge of first-degree murder with an enhancement. The final disposition of this trial is not publicly available at this time.
