Nineteen-year-old Chayse Harmon was shot and killed after gunfire broke out during a crowded Cinco de Mayo party at The Scratch Kitchen on Government Street in Ocean Springs on the night of May 5, 2023. Police and witnesses described chaos on the back patio at about 11 p.m.; officers found seven people shot, one gravely wounded. Deputy Coroner James Prisock said Harmon appeared to have died from a single gunshot wound and was pronounced dead shortly after midnight. Several others were taken to hospitals, with at least two reported in guarded or serious but stable condition.

Family and friends described Harmon as a quiet, academically gifted athlete from Moss Point who preferred staying home to play video games and stood out for his smile. Ocean Springs police initially had no suspect and asked the public for help; investigators later identified and arrested Fa’Darius Davon Williams, then in his early twenties, and charged him with first-degree murder and multiple counts related to the wounded victims. Authorities said the shooting was believed to be gang-related. The Scratch Kitchen was later targeted by city officials as a public nuisance and temporarily closed pending legal action.

Does anyone have information about Chayse’s last night at The Scratch Kitchen or the incident on the patio?