OXFORD WEEKLY PLANET

Monday, February 5, 2024

Gamer dies at house party

Death being treated as suspicious

Blake Jenson, 22, was found dead last night during a video game party at his residence.

The partygoers report the power went out briefly just before Jenson's body was discovered.

"We were all just standing around, and suddenly the lights went out, and when they came back on, Blake was on the floor. We had no clue what happened," said Kent Erdell, who was a close friend of Jenson.

Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Elizabeth Jones said the cause of Jenson's death is unknown at this time. An autopsy will be conducted today, Jones said.

"We are investigating this as a suspicious death for now. When an apparently healthy young man dies suddenly of no obvious cause, we want to look into it to get a more complete understanding of the circumstances that led to his death."

A young woman was also transported to the hospital from Jenson's residence last night. Jones said the young woman is currently in critical but stable condition but declined to say whether the young woman's illness is connected to Jenson's death.

Jenson was a student at the University of Mississippi, and his band, Random Deeds, performed all over Yoknapatawpha County and the surrounding area, most often at Proud Larry's in Oxford.

Jenson also loved video games and frequently invited friends to his home for gaming parties like the one he was hosting at the time of his death.

"Blake was the best in the county at Guitar Hero. He was undefeated," Erdell said. "Blake was going to take a shot at winning the Guinness World record, and I know he could have done it."

Jenson grew up in Oxford with his grandparents, who did not want to comment for this story.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

By Kemper Jones at 8:00 AM