Picayune Police work two incidents of shots fired hours apart
Published 7:00 am Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Picayune Police Department personnel worked two incidents of shots being fired over the weekend that occurred just hours apart.
Assistant Chief Dustin Moeller said the first reported incident of shots being fired in the city was made to the department at about 6 p.m. on Saturday. Officers were sent to 1100 Memorial Boulevard, the Shell gas station, in reference to the incident.
Moeller said that when officers arrived they spoke with witnesses who stated that a black male was attempting to pump gas into his vehicle when another black male drove up to the gas station before exiting the vehicle, approaching the first male and punching him in the face multiple times. As the assailant fled on foot, the man pumping gas then pulled a gun and fired a shot at the man who started the assault.
The man who fired the shot was detained by police and questioned before being released without being arrested, Moeller said.
Detectives also spoke to the man who conducted the physical assault, and determined that he was not struck by a bullet.
Moeller declined to release the names of the two men involved in the incident since neither man was arrested or charged. However, Moeller said that the case is still under investigation and the evidence will be turned over to the 15th District Attorney’s office for review before being presented to the grand jury.
Just hours later, at about 1 a.m. on Sunday, officers were sent to the 2700 block of Victoria Dr., in reference to possible shots being fired. When officers and detectives arrived, a witness recalled hearing multiple popping sounds that could have been fireworks as she was letting her dog out for the night.
Continued investigation determined a home and two vehicles parked outside had been shot multiple times, some of those bullets made it into the interior of the home and struck interior walls. Damage to the home and vehicles indicate as many as 25 shots could have been fired during the incident, Moeller said.
Detectives continue to work leads to identify a possible suspect, and ask that anyone with information about this incident to call the department at 601-798-7411.