18-year-old convicted of capital murder in MJ Daniels slaying

Orlando May (Photo courtesy of the Forrest County Sheriff's Office)

One of the four young men charged with murder in connection with the fatal 2024 shooting of Southern Miss football player MJ Daniels has been convicted.

On Thursday, Orlando May was found guilty of capital murder at the end of a three-day trial in Forrest County.

Daniels, a George County native who was preparing to begin his senior year of football for the Golden Eagles, was shot to death on June 11, 2024, at the Ivy Row Apartments in Hattiesburg.

MJ Daniels, 21, died in a Hattiesburg shooting on June 11, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Southern Miss Athletics)

May is the first of four teenagers who have been charged with capital murder in the case, including 16-year-old Samir Green, 17-year-old Allen Marcus Gardner, and 16-year-old Nytavion Shaw. Each was charged with capital murder and attempted armed carjacking.

After his conviction, May was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for capital murder. He was also convicted of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and taking a motor vehicle, for which he received an additional 30 years that will be served concurrently with the life sentence.

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By Ben Milam

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Ben Milam is a multimedia journalist for SuperTalk Mississippi News. Prior to joining the news team, he spent three years as a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster at the NCAA Division I, NJCAA, and high school levels – including time with William Carey, ESPN+, and most recently as the voice of the University of Louisiana Monroe women’s basketball team. He also is a staff writer for Big Gold Nation of the Rivals Network. Ben is a born-and-raised Mississippian and a graduate of Southern Miss. For inquiries or story tips, email [email protected].