The future for Yazoo City native DeAngelo Brown appeared bright and wide-open for his determined spirit. The accomplished musician had already made a name for himself at Jackson State University, where he played trumpet for the Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band and Tiger P.R.I.D.E. Connection. His faith was just as important, sharing his love for Christ with no hesitation to all he met and encountered.
Vibrant, kind, loving…those were the words used to describe DeAngelo Brown. Most of the Yazoo City community already knew that. And he was beginning to spread his optimistic spirit and loving nature beyond the city limits of his hometown.
But that light was diminished on his 24th birthday. His voice was silenced when he was gunned down in Yazoo City in February of 2016, the first murder within the city that year.
His murderer has never been identified or arrested. And family and friends still wait for answers to a murder that shocked the community.
The Murder
DeAngelo Brown’s body was found gunned down in the parking lot of Twin Cinema Plaza during the early morning hours of Feb. 6, 2016. When a local business owner arrived in the parking lot, his body was discovered with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene by local first responders. He turned 24 years old on the day of his murder, his birthday.
Six years later, no arrests or charges have been made in his murder case.
A Person with a Great Heart
Less than a week after Brown’s murder, a prayer vigil was held in the same parking lot where his body was discovered.
Family and friends remembered the excitement Brown had recently shared with the announcement that he was to serve as a recruiter for Jackson State University. Tears were shed as family and friends said he was “a person with a great heart” and a person “passionate about giving back.”
Several friends came forward with memories of how Brown made a personal positive impact in their own lives.
Jessica Simien, a lifestyle blogger and media consultant, worked with Brown in JSU recruitment.
“If you knew DeAngelo, you knew a vibrant young man with bright eyes and big dreams,” she wrote. “I’m almost certain that he touched your life in some way whether it was by inspiring you with his story and/or intelligence or if he told you about a funny joke that you laughed about for the rest of the day. Either way, he’s not someone who can easily be forgotten.”
Simien added that what she will remember most about Brown was his love for Christ. During their recruitment travels, he would listen to gospel music during the entire journey.
“What I remember most about DeAngelo is his love for Christ,” she continued. “I give him the credit for not being ashamed to worship in front of my friends.”
And as the early spring season passed into the fall, no arrests had been made in Brown’s murder.
All I Want is Justice
Nine months after Brown’s murder, a group of family and friends gathered together to demand justice.
“It’s killing us,” said his mother, Melissa Gant, during the gathering. “We think about him every day, and it hurts so bad. All I want is justice, and I’m going to have that for my son.”
The rally was held in front of the Yazoo City Police Department with many family members expressing frustration by “the lack of communication with investigators.”
“I want to see justice served for my son,” Gant continued. “The Yazoo City Police Department needs to stand up and let me know what’s going on. I call and leave my name and leave messages. I never hear anything. No one calls me back.”
Former alderman Sir Johnathan Rucker organized the November 2016 rally, adding that those who continue to mourn Brown’s loss must keep attention on the case. Over the last several years, Rucker has continued to host a variety of memorial services in Brown’s memory.
“Our message is that we will not stand by and let this case go unnoticed,” Rucker said, during the 2016r rally. “We have to bring attention to this.”
Family members of Brown urged for local investigators to turn the case over the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations if local leads were leading nowhere.
During the time of the rally, the police department was dealing with internal problems. The police chief had recently resigned. Many officers had also left the local department. There was also division among the previous city administration.
“The Bible says that a house divided cannot stand,” Rucker added. “They’re already divided down here, but we have to stand together for this young man who did so much for so many.”
Moving Forward
The murder case of Brown has not been silenced, six years later. Community vigils and prayer gatherings continue to be organized in his memory. But still, no one has been charged or arrested in connection with his murder yet.
Current Police Chief Kenny Hampton said he and his team of investigators intend to revisit many of the unsolved murder cases within the community, including Brown’s case. He believes fresh eyes and new investigative tactics could possibly shed some light on the cases, and hopefully, provide the much-needed closure.
However, family and friends continue to reflect on that tragic day when a young, promising man was silenced. A day when a future leader’s journey came to a stop. But based on his faith, those who knew him take comfort that Brown’s story did not end that night.
“It hurts to imagine what his last minutes were like…what he was thinking as his lift slipped away,” reflects Simien. “I hope there was someone there to greet him on the other side, and I pray that his death was as serene as it could possibly be.”
