Gulfport man first convicted in New Year’s Eve shooting

A Gulfport man will spend 30 years in prison for his part in the 2021 New Year’s Eve shooting case.

25-year-old Isavian Preston pleaded guilty to an amended charge of manslaughter as well as unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Judge Christopher Schmidt sentenced Preston after he entered his plea. The 30-year sentence will run after an eight-year sentence he is serving for a prior drug possession charge.

Six other people were indicted in that case and have yet to come to trial.

The charges and subsequent plea stemmed from a shooting Dec. 31, 2021. Gulfport Police received multiple reports of gunshots in the 1200 block of Lewis Avenue. When officers arrived, they found more than 100 spent shell casings and several houses riddled with bullet holes.

They also found four people — 52-year-old Nathaniel Harris, 28-year-old Sedrick McCord, 23-year-old Corey Dubose and 22-year-old Aubrey Lewis had been shot and killed.

An investigation revealed that Lewis and Dubose had gotten into a fist fight, which led to them pulling guns and firing at each other and into the crowd gathered.

“Witnesses specifically identified Preston as the person who shot and killed Sedrick McCord during the exchange of gunfire,” said Assistant District Attorney Ian Baker, who prosecuted the case.

The grand jury in January returned indictments against Preston, 23-year-old Latavin Bland, 23-year-old Vincent Armstrong, 25-year-old Mario Clark, 28-year-old Khalid Williams, 29-year-old Bobby Hands and 25-year-old Breanna Riley on multiple charges including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and hindering prosecution for their respective roles in the shooting.

Preston admitted to shooting McCord and to possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony.