In the late afternoon of Wednesday, September 26, 2018, the life of 22-year-old Brontava O’Brien Keller, a Black male, was tragically cut short in a West Gulfport neighborhood. The incident unfolded around 4:30 p.m. in the 3000 block of 57th Avenue, an area described by residents as typically quiet. Responding to calls of shots fired, Gulfport police and emergency crews arrived to a distressing scene.
Keller was found having sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at
the location. A large group of people gathered at the scene as police began their investigation, with crime scene tape cordoning off a significant portion of the block. One woman was so distraught she had to be led away by family and friends. A neighbor reported hearing as many as seven gunshots, a startling event in a neighborhood where speeding cars were the usual concern.
Despite the initial investigation and pleas for information from the public, the case of Brontava O’Brien Keller’s death remains unsolved. The Gulfport Police Department continues to investigate his murder, which is now considered a cold case. No suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. Authorities have encouraged anyone with information to contact the Gulfport Police Department or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers.
