A mourning police chief identifies Bay St. Louis officers killed in motel shooting

Bay St. Louis Police Chief Toby Schwartz identified the two officers who were killed in the line of duty Wednesday morning while responding to a call at Motel 6.

Sgt. Steven Robin, 34, and officer Branden Estorffe, 23, were gunned down by a woman at the motel, identified as Amy Anderson, 43, of Ocean Springs, who then likely killed herself, authorities said.

Schwartz said the entire police department is in mourning over the loss of Robin and Estorffe.

State Rep. Brent Anderson shared a tribute to Estorffe, of Gulfport, in a Facebook post commemorating his service. Estorffe’s father, Ian Estorffe, is also a police officer, Anderson said.

”I had the privilege to work with Branden’s dad, for many years wearing that uniform I have known Branden since birth. It has been a privilege to watch him grow up in to the fine young man he became,” Anderson wrote. “He was never short of a smile.”

Anderson said Estorffe was most proud of following in his father’s footsteps.

A makeshift memorial in honor of the police officers killed in the line of duty is being set up at the Bay St. Louis Police Department.

Law enforcement agencies from across the Coast responded to the crime scene, including officers from the Bay and Waveland police, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, Diamondhead police, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, MBI and others.

A command post was set up on the west side of the motel, with crime scene tape surrounding the motel as authorities collected evidence and the coroner’s office removed the body of the woman and one of the slain police officers from the scene.

This story was originally published December 14, 2022 at 12:08 PM.