7 shot, 4 dead in shootout at New Year’s Eve party in Gulfport
A fight that turned into a shootout at a New Year’s Eve party late Friday night left seven people wounded from gunshots, four of them dead and one in critical condition, Gulfport police said on Saturday.
The mass shooting took place at a residence on Lewis Avenue in west Gulfport where a group of people gathered to celebrate the end of 2021.
Gulfport police Sgt. Clayton Fulks said a fight erupted at the party and quickly escalated when multiple people began firing shots in the crowd. The 911 call came in at 11:58 p.m.
Seven people were struck by bullets in the crossfire. Three were confirmed dead on Saturday morning by Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer:
- Corey Dubose, 23, of D’Iberville
- Sedrick McCord, 28, of Gulfport
- Aubrey Lewis, 22, of Bay St. Louis
Dubose and McCord were both brought to Memorial Hospital at Gulfport and died from multiple gunshots wounds, Switzer said. Lewis was taken to Singing River Hospital in Gulfport and died in surgery from multiple gunshot wounds.
A fourth victim, who has been critical condition since the shooting, died Sunday. Swizter identified the man as Nathaniel Harris, 52, of Gulfport.
Fulks said three others, two men and a woman, were also shot but suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Scene of the shootout
The shooting occurred outside of a home in the 1200 block of Lewis Avenue, near the intersection of Old Pass Road in the Gaston Point community.
Empty chairs sat in a semicircle outside of a makeshift fire pit on Saturday morning. A basketball sat underneath a chair. Closer to the street, a child’s riding toy was parked near the party scene.
Neighbors on the street said the gathering was supposed to be a family event to celebrate the beginning of a new year, but quickly grew to a block party.
The homeowner declined to speak to the Sun Herald.
Police chief asks witnesses to come forward
At a press conference at the police department on Saturday afternoon, Gulfport Police Chief Chris Ryle begged witnesses to come forward and give police information that could lead to arrests in the case.
So far, nobody in attendance at the party has cooperated with authorities, Ryle said.
Anyone with information can report it anonymously to the police department or Crime Stoppers.
“It is unfortunate that such a tragic incident occurred in such a great neighborhood,” Ryle said.
The police chief said shell casings recovered at the scene indicate handguns and assault rifles were fired during the shooting.
This story was originally published January 1, 2022 at 10:05 AM.
