Police say preliminary lab work tied the weapon to the killing of two sisters and a toddler.
JACKSON, MS — A rifle believed to have been stolen from a marked Jackson police vehicle was used in a triple homicide that killed two sisters and a 2-year-old boy, Police Chief RaShall Brackney said Friday.
The announcement added a new layer to a case that has shaken Jackson since three people were found shot to death June 27 inside a home on Queen Alexandria Lane. Police have arrested four people and said the killings were targeted. The Mississippi Crime Lab’s review was not complete Friday, but Brackney said early findings showed the stolen department rifle was used in the shooting. Officials said more information was expected Monday.
Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard identified the victims as Keyana Weathersby, 25, her sister, Erica Weathersby, 30, and Keyana Weathersby’s son, Camari Givens, 2. Police said officers were called to the home about 9:15 p.m. June 27 after a report of a shooting. First responders and the coroner went to the scene, where the three victims were found dead inside the house. Brackney called the killings “a horrifying and a vile crime” and said the child was not an unintended victim caught in crossfire. “It takes a coward to slaughter a toddler,” Brackney said after the bodies were found.
At a Friday news conference, Brackney said investigators had recovered multiple weapons as part of the case. She said initial crime lab work connected the stolen police rifle to the homicide, but she also said the full analysis had not been finished. Brackney did not take questions after the briefing, leaving several issues unresolved, including when the rifle was stolen, whether it had been assigned to a specific unit and whether any police employee faces internal discipline. “The responsibility in this case rests solely on the individuals who chose to engage in stealing the firearm and chose to use it to commit those heinous crimes,” Brackney said.
The arrests began Monday night, when Cornelius Carter and Jordan Carter, both 28, were taken into custody after a traffic stop. Investigators said the two men are not related. Three firearms were found in the back seat of their vehicle, but police had not said at that point whether any of those weapons were used in the killing. Cornelius Carter was charged with capital murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Jordan Carter was charged with capital murder. Both men were denied bond during initial appearances in Jackson Municipal Court. A judge said they were dangers to society.
Mikayla Young, 25, was arrested Tuesday and also charged with capital murder. She was denied bond Wednesday in Jackson Municipal Court. A fourth suspect, Devone Modacure, was arrested Wednesday in Forney, Texas, by the U.S. Marshals Service. Police said arrangements were being made to return him to Jackson for an initial appearance and later court proceedings. Officials said Modacure also would face a capital murder charge. Police have not publicly released a full motive. Earlier in the week, Brackney said the victims and assailants knew each other and that the attack was targeted.
The case drew attention in part because of the age of the youngest victim and the location of the shooting inside a home in a residential area. Malik Mayberry, who lives within walking distance of the house, said he and a friend saw a car leaving the home before police filled the street with blue lights. “Everything looked normal,” Mayberry said. Moments later, he said, officers were knocking on doors. Police said the child was in bed when he was killed. The deaths of Keyana Weathersby, Erica Weathersby and Camari Givens led to a dayslong search involving local police and federal law enforcement.
The next major update is expected Monday, July 6, when officials said more details from the Mississippi Crime Lab may be available. As of Saturday, four suspects were in custody or awaiting return to Mississippi, the weapon analysis remained pending and the capital murder cases were moving toward early court proceedings.
Author note: Last updated July 4, 2026.