Justin Phillips, 19, was fatally shot on December 19, 2024, in the late hours at Oak Manor Apartments in the 200 block of North Hills Street in Meridian, Mississippi. Officers arrived after reports of gunfire and found Phillips, a Black male, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced dead; the Lauderdale County Coroner, Stella McMahan, confirmed his identity.

Investigators quickly identified a person of interest, 25-year-old Jontae Lawan Portis. The Meridian Police Department issued a public appeal about Portis’s whereabouts and warned that assisting anyone evading law enforcement could lead to charges. Portis surrendered to police on December 20 and was charged with capital murder; he was held for an initial appearance set for January 6, 2025. The department expressed condolences to Phillips’s family as the investigation continued.

If anyone has information about what happened that night or knew Justin, please contact Meridian police.