3 Dead, 4 Injured In Shooting At Mississippi New Year's Eve Party

Three people were killed and four others were injured in a shooting at a New Year's Eve party in Mississippi Friday.

The shooting began after a fight broke out at the party in Gulfport, Mississippi, just minutes before the end of 2021, Gulfport police Sgt. Clayton Fulks said at a press conference Saturday.

Police learned after an initial investigation that "a large crowd" of people had gathered on Lewis Avenue when a "physical altercation" began, said Gulfport Police Chief Chris Ryle at Saturday's press conference. The fight escalated to the point where multiple people were firing their guns, The Sun Herald reported.

Seven people in total were shot. Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer confirmed that three had died in the shooting, and they were identified as 23-year-old Corey Dubose, of D'Iberville, 28-year-old Sedrick McCord, of Gulfport, and 22-year-old Aubrey Lewis, of Bay St. Louis.

Dubose and McCord died from their injuries at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, Switzer said. Lewis died in surgery at Singing River Hospital, also in Gulfport.

Three people — two men and a woman — suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the shootout, according to Fulks. A fourth person is in critical condition at Memorial Hospital after being shot. Their names were not disclosed.

"It is unfortunate that such a tragic incident occurred in such a great neighborhood," Ryle said.

"When there is a party where alcohol, drugs and assault rifles are present, it is a recipe for disaster. And last night, this was once again proven factual," he added.

Police found shell casings from handguns and assault rifles at the scene, CNN reported. More than 50 shots were fired during the incident, according to Ryle.

The police chief said that thus far, they have gotten little assistance from partygoers involved in the incident during the investigation.

"With such a large group of people, there are those that know what happened [who] are not coming forward," Ryle stated.

The police chief has asked witnesses of the shooting to reach out to authorities with any information and help in the investigation so that the victims can have justice.

Ryle added that it will take a "community effort" to address the growing issue of gun violence.

No arrests have been made thus far. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.