Both were shot and killed as the posse swept through a local swamp where Farmer was believed to be hiding.

[5] Shaw gained national attention in 1971 when a group of local residents led by Andrew Hawkins sued the town for violating their Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection under the law.

In Hawkins v. Town of Shaw, the residents claimed the town had discriminated against black neighborhoods in the way it distributed public services, noting that while 99 percent of homes occupied by whites had access to sewers, only 80 percent of black-occupied homes had sewer access.

The Fifth Circuit Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, and ordered Shaw to equalize access to public services such as fire hydrants, water mains, lighting, sewers and street paving.

The ruling was considered a watershed civil rights victory, with some commentators comparing it to Brown v. Board of Education.

[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.9 km2), all land.

Most of Shaw is served by the West Bolivar Consolidated School District, while the small portion of the city that lies in Sunflower County is served by the Sunflower County School District.