In the early evening of December 13, 2017, in Indianola, Mississippi, the life of 23-year-old Dontavious Boatman, a male, was tragically cut short. At approximately 7:54 p.m., police responded to a call of shots fired in the 400 block of Forrest Street. Upon arrival, they discovered Boatman unresponsive inside a white Chevrolet Impala, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the left side of his head. Emergency medical services were called to the scene, but no signs of life were found, and he was pronounced dead.
Investigators determined that at least one bullet had entered the driver's side back window of the vehicle. The car belonged to another individual, Lexus James, leading police to believe that James, not Boatman, was the intended target of the violence. Further investigation revealed that about an hour before the shooting, an argument had taken place near a local store between James and a man named JaShawn Colton. As the investigation progressed, multiple calls came in identifying Colton as the shooter.
Fearing the suspect might flee, law enforcement in neighboring counties were alerted. In the early hours of the following morning, Colton, along with two other men, Lamon Cooper and Lorenzo Edwards, were located at a gas station in Belzoni and taken into custody. A. 380 handgun, believed to have been used in the shooting, was also recovered. Authorities reported that Colton made a statement that seemed to confirm his involvement in firing a weapon.
Subsequently, 21-year-old JaShawn Colton was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Dontavious Boatman. Lamon Cooper, 30, and 26-year-old Lorenzo Edwards were each charged with being accessories after the fact. During their initial court appearances, Colton's bond was set at $100,000, while Cooper and Edwards received bonds of $25,000 and $5,000, respectively. Both Cooper and Edwards were later released on bond, while Colton remained incarcerated. A preliminary hearing for the case was scheduled for the following month.
