Five people are dead after a Wednesday shooting at a Mississippi hotel and an ensuing standoff, including the suspected gunman.
A shooting broke out around 9am at the Broadway Inn Express in Biloxi near Highway 90. Police have identified Jeremy Alesunder Reynolds, 32, as the gunman suspected of killing a hotel owner and two workers.
A witness reported gunshots and a chaotic scene at the hotel with people fleeing, according to .
After the shooting, Reynolds, who has since died, reportedly fled the scene to Gulfport, about 13 miles west along the Gulf Coast.
About 30 minutes later, police received a report of an armed carjacking involving the hotel suspect, who allegedly assaulted another man near Rio Grande Street. That victim, a public works staffer for the city of Gulfport, was hospitalized and died in surgery.
Police found the Reynolds shortly after the carjacking call, near Canal and 28th streets. The suspect ditched the vehicle he was in and ran into the Canal Grocery store, where a standoff ensued.
Cops barricaded the area and tried making contact with the suspect. After about two hours, the suspect did not respond to police officers’ calls. Cops threw tear gas into the the store and entered, finding Reynolds dead.
Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer identified Reynolds, but his cause of death was not immediately released.
Police have identified the victims as hotel owner Mohammad Moeini, 51; hotel staffer Laura Lehman, 61, who was staying at the establishment; and hotel worker Chad Green, 55, who also lived there. The carjacking victim has been identified as William Waltman, 52.
Initial reports that the suspect took a hostage inside the store were deemed incorrect by police.
The daughter of the hotel owner reportedly told WLOXthat the shooting followed an argument about money between the suspect and her father.
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