Man celebrating his birthday at MS Coast casino killed in the parking lot, coroner says

An investigation is underway in the shooting death of a Mobile native found slumped over in the driver’s seat of his car in the Scarlet Pearl Casino parking lot, D’Iberville Police Chief Shannon Nobles said.

An investigation began shortly after some maintenance workers at the casino heard a gunshot and reported it to casino security. Once security officers realized someone had been shot, they dialed 911 to report the shooting to D’Iberville police.

D’Iberville police responded to the 911 call at the casino around 1:10 a.m. Wednesday and found the man, since identified by Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer as 36-year-old Nicholaus Craig of California.

D’Iberville police officers, Nobles said, attempted to render aid to Craig before paramedics arrived, and Craig was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.

Craig was a resident of Baldwin Hills, California, Switzer said, but considered Mobile home.

“It didn’t appear to be a robbery or anything,” Switzer said. “He was just sitting in his car.”

Craig died of a single gunshot wound, Switzer said. An autopsy is scheduled for later Wednesday.

Craig had stopped for a stay at the casino to gamble a bit for his 36th birthday, which ended just over an hour before authorities found him dead in his car.

Craig had planned to head to Mobile later Wednesday to continue his birthday celebration with his family, Switzer said.

Police have since reviewed camera footage at the casino and are asking the public to look for what is believed to be the suspect’s vehicle.

Police described the vehicle as possibly a blue older model, two-door Nissan Altima that has a missing rear bumper and switched Alabama license plate with the tag ID listed as 2CW6059.

So far, Nobles said, police know Craig had gone to his car and was sitting inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting.

D’Iberville police obtained a warrant to get the camera footage of the suspect’s vehicle, Nobles said, and those images will be released later Wednesday.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Scarlet Pearl CEO LuAnn Pappas spoke out.

“Our thoughts are just with the family right now,” Pappas said. Because it is an open investigation, the casino won’t make any additional comment at this time.

The homicide is the third reported in D’Iberville this year.

To report information, call the D’Iberville Police Department at 228-396-4252 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898 or log on to mscoastcrimestoppers.com and leave a tip.

Sun Herald reporter Mary Perez contributed to this report.

This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 9:55 AM.