Rodger Fulgham

Rodger Fulgham, a 47-year-old Black/African American man, was a father whose loss was deeply felt by his loved ones. On a memorial page, he was remembered as "the best father ever," with family and friends sharing their heartbreak and posting tributes on his birthday and holidays.

In the early morning hours of January 24, 2024, Fulgham was inside a Texaco gas station in the 4400 block of Medgar Evers Boulevard in Jackson, Mississippi. Around 5 a.m., he became involved in a verbal argument with another man. According to Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade, the dispute turned into a physical altercation. Surveillance video showed the other man produce a gun and shoot Fulgham once. Emergency responders were called to the scene, but Fulgham was pronounced dead. The Hinds County coroner later officially confirmed his identity.

The Jackson Police Department launched an investigation into the city’s sixth homicide of the year. Chief Wade lamented the violence, stating, “Quit making these emotional decisions. Quit making these permanent decisions about temporary matters.” Police asked anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. Using evidence from the scene, including the surveillance footage, investigators quickly identified a suspect.

Police arrested Corneill Hughes, also reported as Cornell Hughes, on Woodrow Wilson Boulevard in connection with the shooting. He was subsequently charged with the murder of Rodger Fulgham.

Fulgham's death was one of two homicides to occur at that Texaco gas station in 2024. The violence at the location prompted community members and a local councilman to protest in July, calling for the business to be shut down as a public nuisance. As of August 2024, the murder case against Corneill Hughes was still pending in the court system.