On October 13, 2022, 18-year-old Lake High School senior Travis Jones was shot and killed in his vehicle near Old Highway 80 and Johnson Town Road in Lake, Mississippi. The attack occurred just after 3:00 p.m., not far from his home; investigators said Jones was struck in the head after what they described as 30 to 40 shots fired from different guns. His truck ran off the road into a wooded area, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. A 13-year-old at a nearby home was also hit and treated at a hospital for a leg injury.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation and early inquiries pointed to a past feud as a possible motive. Investigators indicated another person who had been with Jones may also have been a target, and they were looking into a later drive-by shooting at a coach’s home where players had gathered the same evening. Authorities initially took two 16-year-olds into custody and named an 18-year-old as a person of interest.

By the time charges were filed, three teenagers were accused in Jones’s murder: 16-year-old Tyrus Tillman of Lake, 18-year-old Cenarius Morgan of Forest, and 19-year-old Joshua Nicks of Forest. The sheriff said those three were believed to have fired at the vehicle. Anyone who knew Travis, saw the shooting, or has information about who else was present is asked to come forward.