An 18-year-old Charleston, Mississippi man was shot to death this week after allegedly trying to get back a firearm that had been stolen from him days earlier, and investigators have now arrested two people in connection with his killing. Markevion “Dee” Hayes, who lived on the 300 block of Pleasant Street, died after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds, according to Tallahatchie County Coroner Anthony Hawkins.
Hayes was allegedly robbed outside a bank on Friday, according to a community representative cited by The Delta News. Days later, that same representative said, Hayes was shot while attempting to retrieve the firearm that had been taken from him. The Delta News reported that Hayes was shot and killed in a wooded alley on Nell Street near the Sunnie Street intersection, and that nearby buildings showed visible evidence of gunfire.
Two Arrested in Hayes Shooting
In the days after the shooting, Hayes's family pushed for full transparency and accountability, and a community representative said locals were demanding answers and wanted justice for the right people, per the same outlet's report. Charleston city law enforcement had declined to offer a statement at the time, while a representative at the Tallahatchie County Jail said the city was actively working the case, the station noted.
Two people have been arrested in connection with Hayes's fatal shooting, according to The Sun-Sentinel. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation joined the Charleston Police Department to assist on the case. The outlet reports the shooting happened approximately two blocks north of Charleston High School, a detail likely to sharpen concerns in a small community where the crime scene sits close to where students attend class.
State Agency Joins Investigation
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has joined the Charleston Police Department to assist with the case.
Legal Questions Ahead for Prosecutors
The circumstances described in the initial reporting — an alleged robbery followed days later by a deadly confrontation over the stolen gun — raise distinct legal questions under Mississippi law. How investigators and prosecutors weigh the alleged robbery against the fatal confrontation is likely to shape any charges that follow.
Formal charges against the two people arrested had not been detailed in available reporting.
