A family dove hunt near Old Highway 45 in Scooba, Mississippi, ended in tragedy on September 1, 2019. George Adams Jr., a Caucasian man, was shot and killed on private property after a single gunshot was heard. Witnesses said it was customary for everyone to unload firearms before mounting ATVs; for reasons that remain unclear, his younger brother Robert Adams either did not unload or reloaded his weapon.

After George Jr. fell, a struggle for the gun occurred between Robert and their father, George Adams Sr. During that struggle the weapon discharged again and struck Robert, who was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center and was expected to survive. The Kemper County Sheriff’s Department opened an investigation and identified Robert as the primary suspect; a Kemper County jail docket dated September 10, 2019, shows Robert Adams of Hiram, Georgia, was charged with first-degree murder.

Authorities said George Sr.’s role in the shooting of his son Robert would be presented to a grand jury for review. The final outcomes of those legal proceedings have not been publicly reported.