Korea McKay, a resident of Tunica County, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegally possessing ammunition in connection with the killing of Davao Thomas on February 18, 2023. The sentencing was handed down by District Court Judge Michael P. Mills.
Evidence presented at trial showed that McKay, 44, shot and killed Thomas after an exchange at the Kirby Estates apartment complex. Two shell casings were found at the scene. After the incident, McKay left in his truck, which investigators later found hidden behind a trailer in Dundee, Mississippi.
Following his release from state custody on a murder arrest warrant, federal authorities charged McKay as a felon in possession of a firearm related to an earlier arrest in Desoto County in 2020. He was held without bond and indicted for being a felon-in-possession of ammunition connected to the homicide. At the time of sentencing, McKay was already serving a 48-month sentence for the Desoto County case; Judge Mills ordered that his new sentence would run consecutively.
Court records indicate that McKay had multiple prior felony convictions including assaulting a police officer and a federal drug conviction. Records also identified him as a violent, high-ranking member of the Vice Lords gang. During sentencing, Judge Mills remarked that this case represented “the most outrageous one he’s seen in 25 years” due to its nature involving “a defendant to openly kill another human being in broad daylight.”
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner commented: “The number one priority of this office is to keep the citizens of this district safe, and removing a violent, repeat offender like Korea McKay from civilized society will go a long way toward accomplishing that goal,” adding: “AUSAs Sam Stringfellow and Julie Addison joined with our partners at ATF and the Tunica County Sheriff’s Department to help put this defendant exactly where he belongs, inside a prison cell.”
ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson stated: “In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, ATF will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess ammunition, especially in the commission of a homicide… The sentence imposed today sends a message to convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing ammunition and/or firearms that we will continue to work to keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
Sheriff Calvin “KC” Hamp of Tunica County expressed appreciation for law enforcement partnerships: “The Tunica County Sheriff’s Office extends our sincere gratitude to our State and Federal partners for their continued efforts in combatting violent crime across Mississippi… We are proud to embrace these vital partnerships and the resources they bring to help us foster safer communities—especially here in Tunica County. We also give heartfelt thanks to the citizens we serve…”
The investigation involved cooperation between several agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Tunica County Sheriff’s Department, and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Stringfellow and Julie Addison prosecuted this case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed by federal authorities since May 26, 2021 aimed at reducing violent crime through coordinated law enforcement strategies and community engagement programs (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
