Holly MatkinBay St. Louis, MS – Two teenagers were shot to death and four more kids were wounded when a gunman opened fire during a house party after a prom early Sunday morning.
The attack occurred on April 30 at a home located in the 1000-block of Old Blue Meadow, WWL reported.
The gathering took place after Bay High School’s prom, but police said none of the victims of the mass shooting had attended prom on Saturday night, according to the Sun Herald.
Officers from the Bay St. Louis Police Department (BSLPD) responded to the scene at approximately 12:34 a.m., WWL reported.
“Upon arrival, multiple persons were found suffering from gunshot wounds, and others were transported to area hospitals by private vehicles prior to officers’ arrival,” BLSPD Chief Toby Schwartz said in a statement.
A woman who hosted the gathering for her daughter said she was present when the attack occurred, WLOX reported.
She said the gunman walked into the house and began shooting at the crowd as the teens scrambled for cover.
Pass Christian High School student Casey Woods, 18, said he and his girlfriend were at the party and saw 19-year-old Cameron Everett Brand talking to a group of people, the Associated Press reported.
Woods said Brand walked off but then returned and began shooting at everyone.
“Me and my girl looked up and saw sparks coming from the gun,” Woods said, according to the Associated Press.
He said many people ran off into the woods to escape the gunfire.
Blood trails could be seen out on the pavement in front of the residence on Sunday morning, according to WLOX.
This is believed to be the house on Old Blue Meadow Road in Bay St. Louis where two teenagers were killed and four were wounded during an after-prom party Saturday night. The alleged gunman, 19-year-old Cameron Brand, was arrested and is being held without bond. pic.twitter.com/anf937vKpa
— Jordan Lippincott (@JordanLippin) April 30, 2023
Some of the victims were life-flighted to the trauma center in New Orleans and Slidell, WWL reported.
Chief Schwartz said the victims were all between the ages of 15 and 18.
Two of the victims succumbed to their wounds at University Medical Center in New Orleans, the Sun Herald reported.
They have been identified as 16-year-old Haeleigh Stamper and 18-year-old De’Arreis “DD” Smith.
Stamper and Smith were both students at Hancock County High School, WWL reported.
One of the surviving teens was listed in critical condition later on Sunday morning, Chief Schwartz said, according to the Sun Herald.
The other three surviving victims were listed in serious condition.
The four wounded teens were all students at either Bay High or Hancock High, the Sun Herald reported.
Police identified Brand as the sole shooter, according to the Sun Herald.
Brand was arrested at his residence in Pass Christian without incident, police said.
He was booked into the Hancock County Jail on two counts of murder and four counts of aggravated assault, WWL reported.
The judge ordered Brand be held without bond on the murder charges.
Guns in America. 19 year old opens fire at house party in Mississippi. Kills 16 year old and 18 year old, severely injures six others. pic.twitter.com/o9k1ecXSdS
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) April 30, 2023
Brand was previously arrested on multiple occasions in 2022 in Waveland for offenses including carrying a concealed weapon and domestic violence, WLOX reported.
“Our hearts are broken as we mourn the tragic loss of two Hancock High School students who were victims of the shooting in Bay St. Louis last night,” Hancock County School District said in a press release on Sunday. “Our hearts are with their families, friends, and the school staff during this incredibly difficult time. Please keep them, along with the others who were injured from Hancock and Bay High Schools, in your thoughts and prayers.”
“To our students and staff, please know that there will be support services available at the high school tomorrow to help you through this,” the school district added. “Let us come together as a community to show our support and love during this difficult time.”
