Coroner identifies armed robbery suspect killed in D’Iberville shooting
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Coroner identified Tristan Young, 25, as armed robbery suspect who died.
- Victim believed meeting was to buy an iPad; it involved electronic items.
- One purchaser fired in self-defense; co-conspirator Ahmad Hawthorne charged.
Hattiesburg resident Tristan Young, 25, has been identified as the armed robbery suspect who died after a victim fired in self-defense during a shooting Monday in D’Iberville, according to Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer.
D’Iberville Police Chief Marty Griffin said officers responded around 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5 to a reported shooting in the 11000 block of Cinema Drive. When officers arrived, they found Young suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
Griffin said officers at the scene obtained information about a vehicle that drove off after the shooting and issued an alert to surrounding agencies. The vehicle was later located by Biloxi police, and the driver, Ahmad Rasheed Hawthorne, was detained.
The initial investigation indicates the shooting stemmed from an arranged meeting to purchase electronic items. Investigators say the victim, who repairs and resells computers and electronic devices, believed he was meeting to buy an iPad near a Papa John’s location.
Police say Young and Hawthorne conspired to rob the buyer during the transaction. During the meeting, investigators allege Young tried to rob the purchaser at gunpoint.
At that point, the victim pulled his own gun and fired in self-defense, police said. Authorities said the victim was the only person who fired a weapon and has not been charged.
Hawthorne, 25, of Gulfport, has been charged with accessory before the fact to armed robbery. He was booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Center on a $500,000 bond set by Harrison County Justice Court Judge Albert Fountain, pending an initial court appearance.
Griffin said the investigation remains ongoing.
