Three people were killed and four others injured after several people at a party in Mississippi began shooting minutes before the end of 2021, authorities said.
No arrests have been made in the shooting at the New Years Eve party in Gulfport, in part because investigators are examining what happened in a chaotic scene in which more than 50 bullets were fired from multiple firearms, and also because the people who witnessed the shooting and some of those injured do not want to speak to law enforcement officers, said Chris Ryle, Gulfport Police Chief.
“I understand your way of thinking. They don’t want to be considered snitches in public. But we have a phone line that they are more than welcome to call, ”Ryle told a news conference.
One person remained in critical condition, and three others who were injured are expected to recover, according to police, who responded to calls to the 911 emergency number at 11:58 p.m. Friday.
Investigators are not sure what caused the shoving and hitting that quickly led to the shooting, the police chief said.
“Guns, drugs, alcohol … it’s a recipe for disaster,” Ryle declared.
Police are not sure how many people were at the outdoor party when the shooting began. The agents estimate that there were several dozen, but when they arrived people were running in all directions, added the police chief.
Even those shot do not want to speak to investigators, he noted.
“Someone out there last night saw something among so many people,” Ryle said at a press conference posted on the website of The Sun Herald newspaper in Biloxi. “When an assault rifle comes up, someone knows who they are and we need them to testify.”
The three people killed were identified as Corey Dubose, 23, of D’Iberville; Sedrick McCord, 28, of Gulfport; and Aubrey Lewis, 22, of Bay St. Louis, Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer told news sites.
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