In the quiet neighborhood of Crown Hill subdivision in Gulfport, Mississippi, a verbal argument on the night of February 27, 2016, escalated into a tragedy that would claim the life of one young man and forever alter the lives of others. Richard Anthony Doby, a 23-year-old Black male, was shot and killed during the dispute. The incident, which unfolded on Robindale Road, also left another man with multiple gunshot wounds, fighting for his life in serious condition at a local hospital.
The events of that fateful Saturday night began when Richard Doby and his cousin were invited to the home of Shaquil Sands' brother. An argument and a physical fight broke out between Doby and his cousin, but according to testimony, the shooting started after the initial conflict had ended. It was then that 21-year-old Shaquil Sands injected himself into the situation, firing several shots at Doby and his cousin as they were attempting to flee the scene. Doby was struck in the chest by a bullet that hit several vital organs, leading to his death. His cousin was struck by four bullets, two of which entered his back and left him paralyzed from the waist down.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement responded to a 9:09 p.m. call and discovered Doby deceased at the scene and the other victim seriously wounded in the middle of the street. The investigation quickly led to the arrest of Shaquil Sands, who was subsequently charged with one count of murder and one count of aggravated assault. Sands claimed that he believed the cousin was running to his car to get a gun, which prompted him to start shooting.
Following his arrest, Sands was booked into the Harrison County Jail with a bond set at $1.5 million. In February 2019, a jury convicted Shaquil Sands, then 24, of second-degree murder and attempted murder. During the trial, the harrowing details of the night were recounted, including testimony from the paralyzed victim who identified Sands as the shooter. The judge, noting that there was no excuse for Sands' actions and highlighting his attempts to lie to the police and dispose of the murder weapon, sentenced him to a total of 30 years in prison. The community mourned the loss of Richard Doby, with his funeral held on March 5, 2016, as his family began the long and difficult process of seeking justice.
