A robbery attempt in Gulfport early Saturday morning ended with a 15-year-old dead, and now three people are in custody at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center. Police say the shooting happened around 2 a.m. in front of a home on Commerce Street, where investigators believe a botched robbery escalated into a fight.
Surveillance footage from nearby cameras helped officers identify a suspect vehicle, which they located at Cypress Lanes Apartments. A 17-year-old and 18-year-old Elliona Yari-Cheri Goffney were arrested there, and 18-year-old Elijah Markell Parham later turned himself in at the Gulfport Police Department. Parham and the juvenile are charged with capital murder and armed robbery, while Goffney faces accessory after the fact. All three are awaiting bond.
The case raises difficult questions about youth violence on the Coast and how early intervention can keep teenagers out of situations that end in tragedy. A 15-year-old has lost his life, and three young people are facing consequences that will follow them for years. How should the community respond when robbery-related violence takes someone this young?
