In the afternoon hours of January 15, 2025, Mario Applewhite Jr., 24, was found inside a vehicle near the intersection of Joseph Avenue and Tisdale Lane in Moss Point, Mississippi, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound. Police responded to calls of shots fired and detectives processed the scene for hours following the discovery.

Known to friends and family as Rio Grandz, Applewhite graduated from Moss Point High School in 2020 and played travel basketball with the MS Elite Bulldogs. He held a Commercial Driver’s License and worked as a truck driver for MayMar Trucking.

The Moss Point Police Chief said investigators did not have information about a suspect at that time. No arrests had been announced in the initial reports, and authorities were asking the public for information that could help clarify what happened.

If anyone saw activity near Joseph Avenue and Tisdale Lane on January 15 or has information about Mario’s death, please come forward to investigators.