Suspects arrested, charged following child custody exchange shootout outside Ocean Springs PD

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - Three suspects have been arrested as a result of a child custody exchange shootout outside of the Ocean Springs Police Department.

Assistant Chief Steven Dye says a custody exchange went wrong in front of the police station and municipal court on Bienville Boulevard.

“During that custody exchange, an argument ensued,” Dye said. “Gunshots were fired. Two people were struck by gunfire and transported to Ocean Springs Hospital. The child is fine.”

The following suspects have been arrested:

• Anthony Hall, 27, of Biloxi was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated assault and other charges pending. Hall is the biological father of the two-year-old.

• Devon Gray, 27, of Ocean Springs is facing two counts of aggravated assault and other charges pending. Gray is the stepfather of the two-year-old. He was also taken to the hospital after suffering a gunshot wound.
• Corey Taylor, 23, is facing one count of aggravated assault and other charges pending. Taylor was a friend of Hall, who drove him to the custody exchange. Taylor was taken to a hospital after suffering a gunshot wound.

“A lot of people use our police department as a child exchange for custody, if you want to call it neutral territory or where they may feel safe to come to the police department to do so, so that’s not uncommon,” Dye said. “It is uncommon for this to happen -- the episode we had tonight that turned violent with the shooting.”

The assistant chief highlighted that the scene could have been even more deadly.

“It’s terrible. Especially with a child involved and we have random gunfire out here in the public with cars going past Highway 90, our walking track is next to us, we have a grocery store across the street,” Dye said.

We will update this story as new information becomes available.

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