Deadly New Year’s Eve shootout in Gulfport was supposed to be a smaller family event

A deadly New Year’s Eve shootout was meant to be a family event celebrating the start of 2022 before the party grew bigger, neighbors told the Sun Herald Saturday morning.

The shooting left four people dead and three others injured.

Police responded to the scene on Lewis Avenue after a 911 call at 11:58 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Sgt. Clayton Folks said a physical fight broke out before multiple people began firing guns.

Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer identified the deceased as:

Harris, who was in critical condition at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport since shooting, died Sunday.

The site of the party was outside of a home near the intersection of Old Pass Road. Neighbors told the Sun Herald that the event was supposed to be a small family party but grew into a block party before a fight broke out.

At least a half-dozen black chairs sat around a makeshift fire pit. A gas tank and basketball sat beneath them. A child’s riding toy that resembled a Fiat car was parked in front of the lot.

The neighborhood where the shooting occurred is in the Gaston Point community, west of Memorial Hospital near the Long Beach-Gulfport city line. It’s less than a mile from U.S. 90 and the beach.

The street is lined with brick homes. A bar and gymnastics training center is about a block away, closer to the railroad tracks. It’s well-traveled and was busy with traffic on Saturday morning.

“It is unfortunate that such a tragic incident occurred in such a great neighborhood,” Gulfport Police Chief Chris Ryle said at a police department press conference on Saturday. “Many families who live in this area are law-abiding citizens who care for each other.”

There was no crime scene tape or remnants that a homicide took place on Lewis Avenue by noon on Saturday. The sun was peeking out of the clouds. Two blocks up, a couple was riding bicycles down the street.

At the intersection of Old Pass Road, cars that passed by yelled “Happy New Year” or waved and residents outside.

The owner of the home declined to speak to the Sun Herald. Others who were at the party declined to comment.

Gulfport police will hold a press conference about the killings at 2 p.m. They have not said if any arrests have been made. The case is still under investigation.

This story was originally published January 1, 2022 at 1:50 PM.