Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office deputies and local emergency medical service personnel responded to emergency dispatch reports of a shooting near a public basketball court in Artesia at approximately 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Arriving deputies located 18-year-old Jaraquist Cunningham suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical technicians rendered care on scene, but Cunningham succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Homicide Investigation and Suspect Arrest
Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office detectives initiated a homicide investigation, collecting physical evidence and interviewing witnesses at the scene. Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins confirmed that the suspect, identified as 18-year-old Jaquarious Dionta Brooks, was taken into custody after Brooks’ mother contacted the sheriff to arrange for her son to turn himself in. Sheriff Hawkins met with the family locally and took Brooks into custody without incident. Brooks was booked into the Lowndes County Jail on a formal charge of murder. Official vital statistics registrations and coroner records are being processed under the jurisdiction of the Lowndes County Coroner’s Office and the Mississippi Department of Health.
Tributes and Memorial Services
News of Cunningham’s passing brought deep sorrow to classmates, educators, and families across West Lowndes High School and the broader Artesia area, where friends remembered him for his involvement in local youth athletics. Formal announcements regarding public visitation, chapel funeral services, and memorial arrangements will be published by authorized family representatives once finalized.
#artesia#death#obituaryjaraquist#cunningham
