Shooting at Gautier High alumni homecoming event leaves one dead; investigation underway

GAUTIER, Miss. (WXXV) — An investigation into a deadly shooting at a Gautier High alumni homecoming event on Friday night is underway.

The shooting left a 22-year-old dead and a community searching for answers.

The Gautier Police Department says the shooting took place near this roundabout on Dolphin Drive at around 10 p.m. Friday night. Several hundred people were gathered for a homecoming event when shots were fired, killing a 22-year-old man identified as Zavionne Payne, and leaving two others injured.

At this time, no arrests have been made.

The incident has called into question safety at public events such as these. Chief David Bever says the event did have private security approved, but due to Friday’s incident, the police department will make changes for future large gathering such as these.

Gautier Mayor Casey Vaughan also responded to the fatal incident in a social media post. He says, in part, “We will continue to have homecoming and community events in Gautier…” and “We can not allow one incident to stop us from coming together as a community.”

Chief Bever did have one thing to say to those with information on the suspects.

“Somebody knows who did it, and for somebody to think they have the right to take somebody’s life, and then you have knowledge of it and allow them to walk the streets, it’s pretty pathetic in my eyes,” said Chief Bever.

The shooting is still under investigation. If you have any information, call the Gautier Police Department at (228) 497-2486, or the Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-877-787-5898.