21-year-old man pleads guilty to drive by shooting on Mississippi community college campus

A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty to several felony counts in Circuit Court, including a drive-by shooting on a Mississippi community college campus.

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, Bryan Cameron Jr. pleaded guilty in Pike County to one count of drive-by shooting, three counts of shooting into an automobile, one count of conspiracy to commit the crime of drive-by shooting, one count of possession of a firearm on school property, and one count of criminal gang activity.

The charges stemmed from an investigation conducted by Pike County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Investigator Max Adams, and the Southwest Mississippi Community College Police Department, in connection to a shooting that took place on campus Sept. 9, 2021.

Cameron pleaded guilty on the morning of the trial after the State announced it was ready to proceed.

The plea was done without a recommendation by the DA’s Office.

He faces up to 68 years in the custody of the Department of Corrections. Circuit Judge Michael Taylor scheduled sentencing for Sept. 16, 2024, at 11:30 a.m.

“I want to thank Investigator Max Adams, the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, and the Southwest Community College Police Department for all their hard work and continuing investigation into such serious violent crimes,” said District Attorney Brendon Adams. “Unfortunately, the rise in gang-related violent crimes continues to spill out into our communities and schools.

The Mississippi Legislature enacted this Criminal Gang Activity statute as another tool that can be used by Law Enforcement to help curb the rise of this type of gang activity.” Assistant DAs Rodney Tidwell and Robert Byrd prosecuted the case.