Coroner IDs 2 people found shot dead inside Gulfport house

Gulfport police officers were responding to a call about a shooting Wednesday afternoon when they found two bodies inside a home.

Before entering the house in the 3700 block of 19th Street, west of downtown and U.S. 49 and near the Seabee base, officers attempted to contact any residents inside but got no response, a department news release said.

“Officers then forced entry into the residence and located two suspects that were deceased from apparent gunshot wounds,” the news release said.

The two people found in the house were identified by Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer as Augusta Brooks, 44, and Gerald Smith, 51. Both of the Gulfport residents were declared dead at the scene.

Both Brooks and Smith are set to undergo autopsies.

The police department asked that anyone with information about the deaths call officers at 228-868-5959 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898.

This story was originally published March 3, 2021 at 6:20 PM.

Anita Lee

Sun Herald

601-909-0638

Anita, a Mississippi native, graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and previously worked at the Jackson Daily News and Virginian-Pilot, joining the Sun Herald in 1987. She specializes in in-depth coverage of government, public corruption, transparency and courts. She has won state, regional and national journalism awards, most notably contributing to Hurricane Katrina coverage awarded the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service. Support my work with a digital subscription