JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – A Jackson man is facing a murder charge after police say he intentionally struck and killed a 21-year-old Brandon woman in a hit-and-run while she was riding a bicycle.
Kaitlyn Mangum-Gast — known to her family as “Bug” — had just turned 21. Her family gave her a bicycle as a birthday gift on March 2.
Two days later, on March 4, Jackson Police Department (JPD) Precinct 4 officers were called to the 4800 block of Chastain Drive at 11:11 a.m., where police say 57-year-old Shannon Thomas struck Mangum-Gast and a 36-year-old man while they were riding the bike.
Mangum-Gast was pronounced dead at the scene. The 36-year-old male was transported by AMR to a local hospital for treatment of injuries. Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard identified Mangum-Gast as the deceased.
During the course of the investigation, detectives determined the incident was intentional — making it the city’s 13th homicide of 2026, according to JPD…