On a Tuesday afternoon in Gulfport, Mississippi, the life of 24-year-old Ontario Randle of Moss Point was cut tragically short. On May 26, 2026, at approximately 1:30 p.m., gunfire erupted at the Walmart Neighborhood Market gas station on Highway 49 North, a place of everyday errands turned into a scene of violence. When Gulfport police and emergency services arrived, they discovered a grim tableau: three individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.
Randle, who sustained a single gunshot wound, was pronounced dead at the scene, still inside a vehicle.
Alongside Ontario Randle, another life was claimed in the brazen daylight shooting. Shaquari Smith, a 29-year-old from Gulfport, also died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. A third individual was critically injured and rushed to a local hospital for surgery. Authorities from the Harrison County Coroner's office confirmed the identities of the deceased. The preliminary investigation by the Gulfport Police Department suggested that the shooting was not a random act of violence. It was believed that the individuals involved were acquainted with one another and that the shooting was the culmination of a confrontation.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Gulfport police detained several people for questioning in connection with the incident. Despite taking multiple individuals into custody, authorities did not immediately release the identity of a shooter or announce any formal charges in the case. The investigation into the double homicide was reported as ongoing, with law enforcement seeking information from the public to piece together the events that led to the deaths of Ontario Randle and Shaquari Smith. As of late May 2026, no specific suspect had been publicly named, and no arrests for the murders had been officially announced, leaving a community to mourn the loss and await answers. The case remains a somber reminder of a violent afternoon that ended two lives and left a third person fighting for their own.
