Gulfport man sentenced in shooting death outside auto parts store
A Gulfport man is headed to prison for 20 years for the June 2021 shooting death shooting death of a man outside O’Reilly Auto Part, District Attorney Crosby Parker said in a release.
Judge Christopher Schmidt sentenced Demonte Lavell Williams, 29, to the maximum sentence for manslaughter this week in Harrison County Circuit Court.
Williams shot and killed Brent Mandel Jones Jr., 27, in the parking lot of the store on Dedeaux Road on June 14, 2021. Jones was engaged to the mother of Williams children, and the two men had argued in the past.
Jones got to the store first to get his car checked and was outside when Williams arrived and went in the store.
Jones had been in the parking lot with an employee but went back in the store to confront Williams about a comment he had made in the past about Jones’ dead brother.
Jones went back outside, authorities said, and ripped off the door handle on Williams’ truck.
Williams walked back outside and shot and killed Jones.
“Both eyewitness testimony and the location of the gunshot wounds suffered by Mr. Jones established that Jones had his back turned to Williams when Williams exited the store and shot Jones,” said Assistant District Attorney Ian Baker, who prosecuted the case along with Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Magee.
Prior his conviction for manslaughter, Williams had been previously convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.
Judge Schmidt addressed Williams prior to sentencing:
“This is yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of unnecessary gun violence plaguing our communities, and unfortunately, I see no end in sight,” Schmidt said.
Parker said,: “We hope the jury’s verdict and the sentence handed down in this case provides a sense of justice to the family of Brent Jones, and serves as a cautionary tale to others not to settle their differences with a gun.”.
