Gulfport man sentenced for 2021 Spring Break murder

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - A Gulfport man has been sentenced for killing a man during Spring Break in 2021.

Thursday morning, District Attorney W. Crosby Parker announced that 21-year-old Jacquez Rashad McCormick pled guilty earlier this week to the shooting and killing of 20-year-old Jamad Ahkee Quin April 11.

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After accepting the plea on the second degree murder charge, Circuit Court Judge Randi P. Mueller sentenced McCormick to 40 years to serve at the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 15 years suspended, leaving 25 years to serve, to be followed by 5 years of post-release supervision.

Under the second degree murder statute, McCormick, who was 19 at the time of his crime, will be required to serve the 25-year prison portion of his sentence day-for-day without the possibility of parole or early release.

Investigators learned that on April 11, Quin and McCormick traveled together to the Legacy Inn on Canal Road, where friends were staying for the Spring Break weekend.

The young men spent several hours in the hotel room socializing and playing video games. Shortly after 9 p.m., Quin and McCormick got into a heated argument over a game, which led them to go outside and fight in the parking lot.

During the fight, witnesses say McCormick pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Quin once in the chest. McCormick then fled the scene on foot.

Investigators later learned McCormick was picked up by his girlfriend and driven to his father’s house in Jasper County.

The following day, Jasper County Sheriff’s Deputies located and arrested McCormick at the house. Deputies also found two handguns during a search of the residence and vehicles.

During his plea, McCormick admitted to shooting Quin, and apologized to Quin’s family, but claimed he pulled his gun only after one of the witnesses pulled their gun.

The Court was advised that none of the three eye witnesses stated anyone other than McCormick had a gun, and no guns were recovered from any of the witnesses, the hotel room or on scene.

“I will never understand how arguments over matters as trivial as a video game lead to someone pulling a gun and taking a life, but we see it occurring far too often,” Judge Mueller said.

Judge Mueller then commented on the result being two young lives lost, one to the grave and the other to the penitentiary.

“I want to commend the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work and dedication in securing all of the evidence in this case, which led to this conviction. We hope this conviction and sentence helps bring closure to the Quin family and reminds young people of the permanent consequences of a split-second decision to settle an argument with a gun,” said DA Parker.

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