Gulfport Police: Ouzts was bound, shot multiple times

Published 12:57 pm Friday, January 27, 2023

The Gulfport Police Department shared more information Friday afternoon about the shooting of Vicksburg and Lake Providence, La. resident Mike Ouzts, who was discovered shot and injured in a Gulfport church parking lot.

The timeline of events according to the release is as follows:

On Jan. 26 at approximately 2:14 a.m., the Gulfport Police Department responded to the 14000 block of Old Highway 49 in reference to suspicious activity

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Upon arrival, Officers located a vehicle that was listed stolen by the Vicksburg Police Department. While investigating the stolen vehicle, officers were approached by an individual, later identified as Logan Delena, 27, of Saucier, Miss. While officers were investigating the suspicious activity, Delena fled the area on foot

Upon speaking with Vicksburg Police Department it was learned the vehicle was involved in a suspicious missing person case from their jurisdiction.

At approximately 11:50 a.m., officers were continuing their investigation searching for further stolen items in a wooded area off of Old Highway 49, when they subsequently located a victim, bound and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim, identified by other sources as Mike Ouzts, was transported to a local area hospital where he was listed in stable condition

Through the cooperation of the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, the Vicksburg Police Department and the Gulfport Police Department, and the Gonzales Police Department the suspects were ultimately located in Gonzales, La., where they are facing charges resulting from their apprehension before they will be extradited back to Mississippi to face multiple felony charges out of Vicksburg

“This was a multi-state investigation and we would like to thank the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Vicksburg Police Department and Gonzales Police for their combined efforts, as well as the citizen who saw something strange and contacted the police,” the statement from Gulfport Police read.

This is a developing story.