by Hunter Dawkins, Owner/Publisher – editor@thegazebogazette.com or hdawkins@supertalk.fm
GULFPORT (GG) — On Thursday, September 4, Dontavis Omar Magee, from Hattiesburg, was sentenced after pleading guilty last week, to shooting in the crowded parking lot of a business on Highway 90 in Biloxi during 2023 Spring Break. A Biloxi police officer and four civilians were struck by the barrage of bullets fired by the defendant. After accepting the plea on the charges of Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer and two counts of Aggravated Assault, Circuit Court Judge Christopher L. Schmidt sentenced Magee to 40 years to serve in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, 15 years suspended, leaving 25 years to serve, with 5 years of post-release supervision.
Assistant District Attorney Ian Baker, who prosecuted the case for the State along with Mara Joffe, stated “video from Surf Style and neighboring businesses show a dangerous and chaotic scene where a masked suspect, later identified as Magee, walk between 2 cars, raise a handgun, and open fire across the parking lot into a crowd, striking the five victims, before he calmly walked away to the East.”
Investigators from the Biloxi Police Department obtained surveillance videos and issued a press release containing still photos of the masked suspect. Hattiesburg Police Department investigators saw the press release and recognized the suspect as Magee, and provided the Biloxi Police Department with Magee’s name and various photos, including photos of his tattoos.
The investigators were able to compare the surveillance videos to the photos provided by the Hattiesburg Police Department and determine that Magee was the shooter. Additionally, a photo found on social media showed the suspect earlier in the day wearing the same clothing, but without the mask covering his face. That photograph was shown to an Investigator from the Hattiesburg Police Department, who immediately recognized Magee as the person in the social media photograph.
During his plea, Magee admitted to the shooting, but claimed he had been previously threatened by two of the victims. Magee, who was 21 years old at the time of the shooting, has no prior felony convictions, and is expected to be extradited to Georgia, where charges pending in an unrelated case.
“With the conviction of this dangerous criminal, our community is a safer place. This man, single-handedly, changed what was a good time for so many into a nightmare. His disregard for human life was astounding. A huge thank you to the District Attorney’s Office and the men and women of the Biloxi Police Department for a job well done. I would also like to thank the Hattiesburg Police Department for their support and professionalism in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. It is with great pride that we acknowledge our community members and local businesses who came forward to help identify the suspect. I hope this conviction brings comfort to the victims and to the Biloxi Police Officer injured during this horrendous act of violence,” stated Biloxi Police Chief John Miller.
“As large crowds gather on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, ensuring the safety of residents, visitors, and law enforcement, must remain our top priority. The Coast is a remarkable place to live and visit, and we must stay committed to providing our law enforcement agencies and cities with the resources they need to uphold public safety, regardless of crowd size,” stated District Attorney W. Crosby Parker.
