1 shot, 4 arrested in officer involved shooting outside Gulfport Family Dollar, chief says

One person was shot by a Gulfport officer outside of a Family Dollar on Thursday afternoon, Police Chief Adam Cooper said in a press conference outside of the store.

Cooper said police responded to the area of Pass Road and 8th Avenue after receiving a 911 call that several people were waving guns at passing cars.

Police made contact with the suspects who were inside of a car at the store, Cooper said, adding that all of them fled the vehicle.

“One of our officers engaged with an armed individual and shots were fired,” Cooper said.

The person who was shot suffered one gunshot wound, police said, and was taken to Memorial Hospital at Gulfport.

Cooper said the four other suspects were apprehended by police and arrested, and several firearms were recovered.

The shooting occurred around 2:30 p.m. Crime scene tape blocked off the shooting area and markers were placed near a Kia Soul parked in front of the store.

Witnesses on scene went live on Facebook after the shooting. One video showed a person being taken from the sidewalk near the front doors of Family Dollar and put into an American Medical Response ambulance.

“The police just shot a little dude here near Family Dollar,” the person filming is heard saying.

Cooper did not release the age of the person shot. Multiple witnesses at the crime scene and at the hospital told the Sun Herald he was a teenager.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will take lead in the case since Gulfport police officers are involved.

This story was originally published October 6, 2022 at 6:13 PM.