In the small city of Grenada, Mississippi, the community mourned the loss of Ayden Reno, a 16-year-old Black male student at Grenada High School, who was found deceased on the night of Monday, September 22, 2025. A junior, Ayden was an active member of his school, known as a defensive back wearing number 27 for the Chargers football team and as a member of the Visions show choir. Grenada Police Department officers discovered his body at approximately 11:41 p.m. in a brushy, overgrown area next to a home on Leigh Avenue, near Honeytown Park, following reports of gunshots in the vicinity earlier that evening. The Grenada County Coroner, Douglas “Little Bobby” Yates, pronounced Ayden dead at the scene at 12:25 a.m. on Tuesday, September 23. His body was then transported to the Mississippi State Crime Lab for an autopsy.
The investigation quickly led to the apprehension of four of Ayden’s fellow students.
On Monday, September 29, police arrested 18-year-old Lamarion Henderson, 16-year-old Nickolus Brown, and 15-year-old Zacarias Steward. A fourth suspect, 18-year-old Ryan Spencer, was taken into custody the following morning. Henderson, Brown, and Steward were each charged with first-degree murder by deliberate design, and the District Attorney confirmed they would be tried as adults. Their bonds were initially set at $250,000 each. Spencer was charged with accessory after the fact, and his bond was set at $20,000, which he posted for his release.
A preliminary hearing for the four teenagers was held on October 14, 2025, in Grenada Municipal Court. Lamarion Henderson and Zacarias Steward waived their right to a hearing, while Nickolus Brown and Ryan Spencer proceeded with theirs. During testimony, lead investigator Detective Sgt. Chris Brown revealed that the shooting was believed to be the result of an alleged gun transaction that had gone wrong. He testified that Ayden died from a gunshot wound to the jaw. At the scene, investigators recovered shell casings from a .40 caliber firearm and an AR-15-style rifle. Ayden was found holding a 9mm pistol in each hand.
Following the testimony, Municipal Court Judge James Vance bound all four defendants over to await action by a grand jury. The judge also adjusted the bond amounts, lowering them to $100,000 for Henderson and Steward and reducing Brown’s bond from $250,000. This allowed Brown and Steward to be released with electronic monitoring, joining Spencer who was already out on bond. Henderson remained in custody at the Grenada County Jail. In an unexpected development, Detective Sgt. Chris Brown resigned from the Grenada Police Department in November 2025. As of that month, the case was awaiting presentation to the grand jury.
