Bay St. Louis Police Chief updates prom party deadly shooting investigation

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WLOX) - The shock still lingers in Hancock County a week and a half after what was supposed to be a night of fun turned into 16-year-old Haeleigh Stamper and 18-year-old De’Arreis Smith losing their lives.

”Nobody expects this, it’s a senseless act,” said Toby Schwartz, Bay St. Louis Police chief. “People go there to celebrate, they’re not going there knowing that possibly a volatile, violent and deadly act is going to take place, or they wouldn’t have shown up.”

On Tuesday Bay St. Louis’ Police Chief shared his insight into what led up to the moments when gunfire erupted during a prom after-party.

According to Schwartz, investigators have interviewed around 40 people who either witnessed the shooting or knew something about it.

Based on witness statements, the accused shooter 19-year-old Cameron Brand was at the party for up to an hour before gunshots were fired.

”There’s a lot of different motives floating around from witnesses, but I’ll say this, obviously he had a beef with somebody while there,” said Schwartz.

The party with as many as 100 people there at a given time had been going on for several hours before the gunfire. Schwartz didn’t say if the teenagers killed and injured were specifically targeted.

”This suspect was not an active shooter, school shooter type. The suspect, from what I’ve heard from the investigative team, didn’t go to this party to go and shoot as many people as they could. However, the suspect did bring firearms and a shooting ensued. Unfortunately, a lot of innocent bystanders were shot, and we had the tragic loss and death of two of them,” Schwartz said.

Even though the suspected killer was captured within hours of the shooting and remains in jail with no bond on the two murder charges, Schwartz said the investigation is continuing and 20-30 more interviews are possible.

”We want to give the community, the families and the students some peace of mind that justice is being sought,” he said.

Schwartz said that currently there’s no evidence to suggest gunfire came from anyone else other than the suspect. No other suspects are believed to have been involved in the shooting.

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