Nykeria Jude, Markell Braxton Cause Of Death – Authorities in Tunica County, Mississippi, are piecing together the events surrounding a deadly shooting and the subsequent discovery of the suspected gunman’s body.
On Monday, July 14, at about 4:41 p.m., deputies from the Tunica County Sheriff’s Office and agents with the U.S. Marshals Service located human remains in a wooded area behind homes on Soleil Drive in Robinsonville. Investigators quickly linked the site to a violent incident that had unfolded three days earlier.
The original shooting occurred on Friday, July 11, at approximately 7:06 p.m. Deputies had rushed to the same section of Soleil Drive after multiple 911 callers reported gunfire. Upon arrival, they discovered three people suffering from gunshot wounds.
- Nykeria Jude, 30, was critically injured and died from her wounds at the scene.
- A 24‑year‑old man and a 6‑year‑old girl were both airlifted to regional trauma centers for advanced medical care. Their current conditions have not been publicly updated.
During the initial investigation, deputies identified Markell Braxton, 41, of Robinsonville, as the primary suspect in the triple shooting. A manhunt ensued over the weekend, with local deputies receiving assistance from state and federal agencies.
The search ended Monday afternoon when law‑enforcement teams discovered a body in the wooded area behind the residences. Based on preliminary evidence, authorities believe the remains belong to Markell Braxton, though definitive confirmation is pending laboratory analysis. The body has been transferred to a state crime lab for autopsy and forensic testing, which will establish identity and cause of death.
Officials have not yet indicated how long the suspect’s body may have been in the woods, nor have they said whether a weapon was recovered at the scene. Investigators are also working to determine whether Braxton died by suicide or if foul play contributed to his death.
Detectives continue to reconstruct the timeline of July 11: what transpired before gunfire erupted, how the suspect escaped immediately afterward, and what led to his death in the wooded area. They will examine all available evidence, including shell casings, surveillance footage, and eyewitness accounts, to establish a clear narrative.
The community of Robinsonville is grappling with the loss of Nykeria Jude and the serious injuries inflicted on the other two victims—one of whom is only six. Neighbors have expressed shock that the violence occurred on an otherwise quiet residential street.
The Tunica County Sheriff’s Office has pledged to release additional details once the crime‑lab results are returned and next‑of‑kin notifications are complete. Anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or observed suspicious activity in the area between July 11 and July 14 is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office.
As the investigation advances, authorities hope the lab results will confirm the identity of the body found in the woods and shed light on the final moments of the suspected gunman, bringing some closure to a tragic sequence of events that left one person dead, two others injured, and a community seeking answers.
