On August 28, 2018, at about 1:30 a.m., police in Greenville, Mississippi, responded to a shooting in the 800 block of Nelson Street. Officers found three people with gunshot wounds; all were taken to Delta Regional Medical Center. Thirty-year-old Rafael Sawyer died at the hospital after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide. The two other victims were reported in stable condition and described as innocent bystanders.

Investigators said the shooting grew out of a prior altercation between Sawyer and the person who shot him. The Greenville Police Department arrested 24-year-old Alex Hardy and charged him with one count of murder and two counts of aggravated assault in connection with the incident. Any readers who knew Rafael Sawyer or have information about the shooting are asked to come forward.