Church deacon killed protecting others after gunfire erupts at Easter egg hunt
Church deacon killed protecting others after gunfire erupts at Easter egg hunt
Show Caption
Hide Caption
What to know about the growing threat of gun violence
Find out about the growing problem of gun violence and mass killings in the USA and learn how the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) categorizes different types of gun violence.
A Mississippi church deacon was fatally shot while trying to protect people from a dispute that broke out during an Easter egg hunt hosted by his church, witnesses and law enforcement said.
Empowerment Ministries Christian Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, identified the deacon as Eddie Shed and said he died on April 12 while trying to "save others from harm" at the church's Easter egg hunt at Jack and Florence Goldin Park in Gulfport.
The Gulfport Police Department said the shooting stemmed from a "child custody dispute" and that two people who tried to "deescalate the fight" were hit by gunfire, as well as the suspect. Shed was pronounced dead at the scene and another person was airlifted to an out-of-state hospital.
The following day, police arrested Tyran Deion Gable, 24, of Saucier, Mississippi, on charges of murder and aggravated assault, according to the Gulfport Police Department. Gable was hit by gunfire during the shooting and was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.
In a statement posted to social media, the church said Shed was killed "in a senseless act of gun violence."
"Deacon Shed epitomized the virtues of a hero, displaying selfless courage and bravery that ultimately saved others from harm," said the statement from Empowerment Ministries Christian Center, which describes itself as non-denominational. "He paid the ultimate price for his valor, and we are deeply saddened by this loss."
Deacon was 'a hero,' witnesses say
Witnesses of the shooting said Shed didn't hesitate to protect children at the Easter egg hunt.
'I wouldn't expect nothing less from him to do something like that, nothing less. He was just a hero,' longtime church member Shatondria Ball told WLOX.
'He died a hero doing what he does best, and that's protecting and that's loving and that's looking out for everyone,' fellow church member Alexis Weathersby told the outlet. 'He was just a wonderful man that was willing to do any and everything for anyone.'
Gregg S. Magee, senior pastor of Empowerment Ministries Christian Center, described Shed in a statement as "a pillar of strength within our community and a beacon of light and hope."
"His unwavering faith, kindness, and dedication to serving others have left an indelible mark on all who knew him," the pastor said.
Shed is survived by his wife and three children. A GoFundMe for his family has raised nearly $16,000 as of April 15.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Witness Describes Deadly North Carolina Mass Shooting: 'Like a Movie'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A witness at a North Carolina house party that erupted into a mass shooting, leaving 12 people shot and one dead, told local news station WBTV that the scene was unlike anything they'd ever seen, describing it "like a movie." Several agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Catawba County Sheriff's Office, Hickory Police Department, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are working on the open investigation, and as of Sunday afternoon there is no suspect in custody. Newsweek has reached out to the Catawba County Sheriff's Office and the FBI's Charlotte field office for comment via email on Sunday. The Context Law enforcement responded to reports of people being shot at a residence in Catawba County around 12:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. Twelve victims have been reported, one of whom has been pronounced dead and sixothers are in the local hospital. One is in critical condition in a hospital in Charlotte. The party involved adults and teenagers, Major Aaron Turk of the Catawba County Sheriff's Office said in a second press release, writing, "the victims range in age from 16 to 58." "The investigation indicates more than one shooter was involved in the incident," Turk said, later noting that "more than 80 shots were fired." An estimated 130 to 160 mass shootings have occurred in the U.S. so far this year, according to data from the Mass Shooting Tracker and the Gun Violence Archive. What To Know An anonymous witness who was at the house party told WBTV: "I was outside in the yard and I heard a lot of shots going off and people running to the front." The crime scene, which was described as "complicated" by Turk, spans around 2 acres, with indoor and outside aspects. It took place on Walnut Acres Drive in the Mountain View community. The deceased victim has been identified as 58-year-old Shawn Patrick Hood of Lenoi, North Carolina, according to Turk. "[I] heard a lot of people got shot. I ain't ever seen anything like this, it was like a movie," the witness told the station. The shots, of which there were dozens of, occurred at a "variety of distances," Turk said. The agencies are not yet providing details on the weapons used in the shooting, noting that there were multiple. The motive is still unknown, but Turk noted that "we don't believe that this was random in a circumstance that might endanger the community." Law enforcement has interviewed about 70 or so people, Turk confirmed at the press conference. Police have identified the victim who is dead but have not yet released the information as of Sunday afternoon. Prior to the shooting, police had received a noise compliant about the party. Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team use measuring devices to document a crime scene on June 12, 2023, in Annapolis, Maryland. Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team use measuring devices to document a crime scene on June 12, 2023, in Annapolis, Maryland. Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun via AP What People Are Saying James Barnacle, Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina FBI office, said during the Sunday press conference: "In this particular situation is we are supporting this investigation. We are bringing resources. We have Victim Services specialists meeting with victims of the shooting last night. They are at the hospitals, meeting with victims. We have FBI special agents helping with leads investigations and processing the crime scene. We have evidence response teams. They are here on site as well, and they are taking pictures. They are looking at trajectories of bullets, and they are helping to collect the evidence that's on scene." Special Agent Angie Key with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said during the Sunday press conference: "We're providing crime scene assistance, investigative assistance, support interviews we've had our intel folks step up and provide assistance with that as well. We're continuing to help with this case, as far as assisting local, state, federal agencies." Scott Riley, district attorney for Burke Holwell and Catawba County, during the Sunday press conference: "I'd also like to offer my deepest condolences to the families of all the victims involved. They have all had their lives just drastically altered and changed forever by this senseless act of violence." Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, wrote in an X, formerly Twitter, post on Sunday: "And yet republicans in our state legislature are trying to make permit-less carry legal in this state. The answer to gun violence being the #1 killer of young people in communities across our state is not to make it easier for young people to buy one." What Happens Next The FBI is setting up a tips line for anyone who was at the party or witness to any related activity. The investigation is ongoing, with law enforcement expected to continue providing press releases.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
El Paso teen killed in shooting after meeting someone in vehicle in far East Side
An El Paso man met with someone in a vehicle before he was killed in a shooting in a far East Side neighborhood over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, police said. A homicide investigation continues into the death of Angel Salazar, 19, who was fatally shot on late Friday night, May 23, in the Montwood Heights area, El Paso police spokesman Officer Adrian Cisneros said in a news release. No arrests had been announced as of Tuesday morning, May 27, as an investigation continued by the Crimes Against Persons Unit. Further details on the shooting have not been released. Homicides 2025: "A very special person': Ex-Army soldier killed in Central El Paso was Dad-to-Be Salazar was found on a street with a gunshot wound at 11:09 p.m. in the 12400 block of Flora Alba Drive after police responded to calls of a shooting in the 1700 block of Dana Michelle Street, police said. Salazar was transported to a hospital, where he died. Flora Alba Drive and Dana Michelle Street intersect in the Montwood Heights neighborhood off Montwood Drive, east of Loop 375. "The preliminary information revealed that the victim met with an unidentified person(s) in a vehicle for unknown reasons. A short time later, gunfire was reported in the area," a police news release stated. "There are no words to describe the pain and sorrow our family is going through," stated a GoFundMe page by Salazar's family for help with funeral expenses. Anyone with any information on the homicide may call the police nonemergency number at 915-832-4400 or may anonymously call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-8477 (TIPS). Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@ and @BorundaDaniel on X. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man killed in shooting after vehicle meeting in far East Side
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Photos: Funeral held in Fort Worth for Ava Moore, killed in jet ski hit-and-run
The United States Air Force performed full military honors Saturday at the funeral of the 18-year-old woman killed in a jet ski hit-and-run crash last weekend at Grapevine Lake. Ava Moore graduated from Keller's Timber Creek High School in 2024 and played basketball at the U.S. Air Force Preparatory Academy, her family said. Moore was set to attend the U.S Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs as a member of the class of 2029. Moore was kayaking at Grapevine Lake on May 25 when police say 21-year-old Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez struck her with a jet ski before fleeing the scene. Gonzalez was arrested two days later and faces charges including second-degree felony manslaughter. While driving the jet ski, Gonzalez 'recklessly made several passes along the shoreline with wanton disregard to the safety of others and at a speed and manner that endangered others in the area, before eventually colliding with one of two kayakers paddling near the shoreline,' according to an arrest warrant affidavit. While Gonzalez' bond has been set at $500,000, she will not be released due to an immigration detainer, officials said at a news conference last week. Gonzalez is an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela. A GoFundMe for Moore's family has raised over $50,000.
