Gun violence: Mississippi mother’s two sons fatally shot in the space of a month

Violet Horne lost her two sons to gun violence within the space of a month. And though authorities said they could not tell if the two fatal incidents are linked, a lawyer for the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office told PEOPLE they are “looking into any possible connection.”

“We are investigating any and all motives,” Jason Dare said. “We have not been able to find a connection between the two murders.” Horne’s 14-year-old son, Cameron Horne-Crook, was the first to be gunned down. 

The incident happened on March 25, with the the Jackson Police Department stating that Cameron was shot “multiple times” after he was transported to the capital Jackson, from a friend’s Brandon, Mississippi home. 

Authorities later arrested and charged three teenagers in connection with Cameron’s murder. The suspects were aged 15, 16 and 17, with the 16-year-old facing an additional charge of tampering with evidence. But authorities later dropped the charges against the 15 and 16-year-olds, per WAPT. The motive behind Cameron’s murder was, however, not disclosed.

“It wasn’t a motive, just hate,” Cameron’s mother said in the wake of her son’s slaying. “Just hate.” The 17-year-old charged in connection with the 14-year-old’s killing, John Foote, is currently being held in an adult facility.

Tommie Brown, a detective with the Jackson Police Department, initially told PEOPLE that the charge brought against Foote could be elevated to capital murder – meaning he can be sentenced to death if found guilty of killing the victim.

Horne’s second son, Bryson Cortez Horne-Wash, 20, was fatally shot on April 23. The sheriff’s office said the incident occurred at a home in Brandon, and Horne called 911 to report the shooting. 

The incident report stated that a deputy who responded to the scene found Bryson “laying on the floor unresponsive.” The deputy stated that he lifted Bryson’s hoodie and “found a single gunshot wound to the right side of his body” while the victim’s mother and cousin, Reginald Simpson, performed CPR. The deputy also stated that he applied a bandage and pressure on the victim’s wound. Bryson was later pronounced dead by paramedics who responded to the scene.

Following the shooting, authorities said Ryan Scott Duette and Lainey Bella Ingle – both 20 – came to the sheriff’s office requesting to file a statement. The two individuals said they and Bryson got into an altercation, per PEOPLE. Authorities also said they found several firearms in their vehicle. 

Duette faces a murder charge and is being held on a $500,000 bond. Ingle, on the other hand, has been charged with felony accessory after the fact. She was, however, released on April 24 after posting a $50,000 bond, WAPT reported.

The news outlet also reported that the shooting allegedly stemmed from a botched firearm sale. Two firearms were later confiscated by the sheriff’s office on Tuesday after they executed a search warrant on the home. 

Bryson’s mother allegedly owned one of the guns while his cousin allegedly owned the other, the incident report stated, adding that authorities detained Simpson after he grew “distraught” and “belligerent” after his cousin was pronounced dead. His behavior also stemmed from the search warrant being executed, per the report.

Simpson was “later released after he had calmed down.”