Three teens charged with Capital Murder in shooting death of USM football player – The Vicksburg Post

HATTIESBURG — Three teens have been arrested and face capital murder charges in connection with the shooting death of Southern Miss football player MJ Daniels.

The Hattiesburg Police Department announced Friday that it has arrested 18-year-old Orlando May of Hattiesburg; 17-year-old Allen Marcus Gardner of Houston, Texas; and 16-year-old Samir Green of Hattiesburg.

All three have been booked into the Forrest County Jail and are accused of shooting and killing Daniels at an apartment complex in Hattiesburg.

The Hattiesburg Police Department said officers responded to a call of shots fired at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival, they discovered Daniels, 21, unresponsive in his vehicle with apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

May was charged with one count of Capital Murder; one count of Attempted Armed Carjacking; one count of Felony Eluding; and two counts of Grand Larceny Auto.

Gardner was charged as an adult with one count of Capital Murder and one count of Attempted Armed Carjacking.
Green has also been charged as an adult with one count of Capital Murder and one count of Attempted Armed Carjacking.
Police are continuing to investigate the case. Anyone with information can contact the Hattiesburg Police Department.

Daniels, a Lucedale native, was heading into his second year with Southern Miss after playing at Ole Miss for two seasons. He started all 12 games in 2023 and was expected to be a starter again this year. He tied for the team lead with three interceptions last season.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of MJ Daniels. His smile was infectious and lit up the room. Please keep MJ’s loved ones and our Southern Miss family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” Southern Miss head coach Will Hall said in a post on X.

Daniels’ family announced that funeral services will be held on June 22 in Lucedale. A visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the George County High School gym, with burial to follow in Merrill Cemetery.

“MJ had a contagious smile that could brighten anyone’s day,” the family said in an obituary posted to the website of Moments Funeral Home in Lucedale. “His charismatic personality was the reason there was never a dull moment in his presence.”

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post’s sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post’s sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper’s 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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