Southern Miss DB MJ Daniels Shot and Killed Tuesday Night

Patrick Andres | Jun 12, 2024

Sep 10, 2016; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; A Southern Miss Golden Eagles helmet sits on the bench in the second half of their game against the Savannah State Tigers at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Southern Miss won, 56-0. / Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

MJ Daniels, a safety for Southern Miss, was shot and killed Tuesday night in Hattiesburg, Miss. He was 21.

Forrest County coroner Lisa Klem made the ruling after police and emergency workers arrived at the apartment complex where Daniels was shot.

"The University of Southern Mississippi and the Department of Athletics mourn the loss of MJ Daniels whose life was lost Tuesday evening during an incident that occurred off campus," the university said in a statement. "We send our sincere condolences to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time."

Daniels played in each of the Golden Eagles' 12 games last season, intercepting three passes to rank eighth in the Sun Belt. He recorded 28 tackles, forced two fumbles and defended four passes.

Before transferring to Southern Miss, Daniels played 16 games for Ole Miss from 2021 to 2022. He recorded six tackles with the Rebels, half of which came in a 59-3 win over Central Arkansas in '22.

Daniels played high school football for George County High School in Lucedale, Miss., a small town in the state's Gulf coast region.