Officials say crime lab testing connected the rifle to a shooting that killed two sisters and a toddler.
JACKSON, Miss. — A rifle reported stolen from a Jackson Police Department vehicle was used in a late June triple homicide that killed two sisters and a 2-year-old boy, Police Chief RaShall Brackney said Friday.
The disclosure added a new layer to a case that has already led to four capital murder arrests. Police said the victims, Keyana Weathersby, 25, her sister Erica Weathersby, 30, and Keyana Weathersby’s son, Camari Givens, 2, were killed in a targeted shooting on Queen Alexandria Lane.
Brackney said at a news conference that investigators recovered several weapons while working the case. Early testing by the Mississippi Crime Lab showed that one of the weapons tied to the shooting was a rifle believed to have been stolen from a marked Jackson police vehicle. The chief said the lab review was not complete and that more information was expected Monday. “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 shooting happened June 27 at a home on Queen Alexandria Lane. Police later identified the victims as two sisters and a child. Brackney has said the shooting was targeted and that the child was not simply caught in crossfire. Officials have not released a full account of what led to the gunfire, and they have not said whether robbery, a personal dispute or another motive is the main focus of the investigation.
Four people have been arrested in the case. Devone Modacure was taken into custody Wednesday in Forney, Texas, by the U.S. Marshals Service and Texas authorities. Police said arrangements were being made to return him to Mississippi for an initial court appearance. Mikayla Young, 25, also was arrested and charged with capital murder. Cornelius Carter and Jordan Carter, both 28 and not related, were arrested earlier and also charged with capital murder. Bond was denied for Young and the two Carters during initial court proceedings.
The stolen rifle has raised questions about how police weapons are secured when officers are off duty or away from their vehicles. Officials said the weapon had been reported stolen weeks before the killings during a series of vehicle burglaries. The department has not released the name of the officer assigned to the rifle or said whether any internal discipline is pending. Brackney declined to answer additional questions after Friday’s briefing.
Police have said the investigation remains active. The department is still waiting for final findings from the Mississippi Crime Lab, including a completed analysis of the weapons recovered in the case. Prosecutors are expected to review the evidence as the capital murder cases move through court. Modacure’s return from Texas remains one of the next major steps in the case.
The killings have shaken neighbors along Queen Alexandria Lane and renewed attention on gun violence in Jackson. The deaths of two sisters and a toddler drew public grief as police announced the arrests over several days. City leaders said the case is part of a wider push to focus officers on violent crime during the summer period.
As of Saturday, July 4, all four suspects were in custody or awaiting transfer, and police were waiting for final lab results expected Monday.
Author note: Last updated July 4, 2026.