Jackson, Miss. — A quiet Sunday afternoon turned into tragedy when 33-year-old Amelia Neal was struck by gunfire while riding in an SUV, and died a day later in the hospital. The shooting has shocked her loved ones and the wider Jackson community, and police are still with more questions than answers.
According to Jackson authorities, Neal was seated in the front passenger seat of a gray Honda CR-V traveling on Cynthia Road near Highway 49 at around 4:30 p.m. on October 12, 2025, when shots were fired into the vehicle. The driver—just feet away—and a six-year-old child in the backseat were untouched. The driver hurried to a nearby Sprint Mart to call for help.
Neal survived long enough to be rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, but succumbed to her injuries the following day—October 13. Officers say she was hit in the head. The shooting now marks Jackson’s 50th homicide of the year.
Investigators believe the shots came from a black passenger car with a Louisiana license plate. No motive has been determined, and no arrests have been made so far. Detectives are urging anyone with information to reach out to Jackson Police at 601-960-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477)—tips may be submitted anonymously.
Friends, family and neighbors describe Neal as someone full of life, devoted to those she loved—and her death has left a void. The knowledge that a child sat in the backseat while this happened weighs heavily on all who hear the story. People in Jackson and beyond are mourning, hoping someone—anyone—steps forward with what they know.
While this case unfolds, it stands against a larger backdrop of violence across Mississippi. Just days before, multiple shootings broke out during homecoming weekend events in towns like Leland and Heidelberg, leaving at least six people dead and many more injured. Just as those communities reel, Jackson now deals with its own heartbreak, as silence clings over the streets where Amelia took her last ride.
No one should die riding in a car on a Sunday afternoon. But Amelia Neal did. And until someone steps forward with that missing piece—the who, the why—her family will be left clutching at questions. Jackson, wrapped in grief, waits for answers.