Reginald Scott Thomas Jr., 33, was found dead from a gunshot wound in a Quality Inn room on Highway 63 in Moss Point on the afternoon of December 30, 2025. Authorities were alerted between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m. by a woman who was in the room; Moss Point police discovered Thomas deceased on arrival and the Jackson County Coroner confirmed the gunshot as the cause of death.

Law enforcement describes the shooting as an isolated incident and has said there is no known threat to the public.

Thomas, also known as Reginald Scott Thomas II, graduated East Central High School in 2011, served in the United States Air Force, and was a certified welding inspector. If anyone has information about what happened at the Quality Inn on December 30, contact the Moss Point Police Department.