PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS: PHILIP GUNN’S TRAGIC LOSS: FAITH AND FAMILY THROUGH HEARTBREAK

On my show, The Clay Edwards Show, I sat down with former Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn, who shared a heart-wrenching story about losing his family in a tragic car accident. Broadcasting from Flora, Mississippi, I listened as Philip recounted the devastating event from 1988, 37 years ago, when he was 25 and in his second year of law school at Ole Miss. His parents, both 46, and his 20-year-old sister were killed when a drunk driver struck their car, causing it to explode. Philip, newly married, described the closeness of his Christian family—his sister, his biggest fan, would crawl into his bed as a child for comfort. The loss left him reeling, compounded by the criminal trial of the driver, a repeat offender convicted of three counts of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to 60 years. Philip credited his faith in God and his wife’s support for pulling him through, believing his family is in heaven and that he’ll reunite with them one day. This tragedy reshaped his priorities, emphasizing faith and family above all, and fueled his resilience to become a transformative leader in Mississippi politics.