Woman fatally shoots 2 officers at motel in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, officials say
Two police officers were shot and killed at a Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, early on Wednesday morning, authorities confirmed. The officers were responding to a call for a welfare check made to the Bay St. Louis Police Department from the motel, which is located along a stretch of interstate Highway 90 that runs through the Gulf Coast city, officials said.
The slain officers were identified as Branden Estorffe, 23, and Steven Robin, 34, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety confirmed in a statement.
The officers arrived at the Motel 6 before 4:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, the department said. The officers then encountered a subject, identified as 43-year-old Amy Anderson, who was sitting in a parked vehicle with a female minor.
The officers interacted with Anderson for nearly 30 minutes and the state Department of Child Protection Services was called, according to the DPS statement. From inside the vehicle, Anderson shot both officers, Robin died at the scene while Estorffe succumbed to injuries later on Wednesday morning, authorities confirmed. Anderson also died at the scene from a gunshot wound to her chest, according to the department, which initially reported that she had killed herself.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation "is currently assessing this critical incident and gathering evidence," the department said, adding later that additional details will be made public when the investigation has been completed.
Once the investigation is complete, agents at the state bureau will turn over their findings to the state's attorney general's office, the department noted.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves addressed the shooting in a message shared to Twitter.
"Early this morning two Bay St. Louis Police officers were tragically shot and killed in the line of duty," he wrote in part, adding, "I am heartbroken by this terrible loss of two brave law enforcement officers. I am praying for their family, friends, their fellow officers, and the entire Bay St. Louis community. Every single day across Mississippi, our law enforcement members place their lives on the line in constant and repeated acts of selfless sacrifice for their community."
Bay St. Louis Mayor Mike Favre also responded to the shooting in a statement, which the public safety department included in its Wednesday news release.
"This is a very sad situation, and our deepest thoughts and condolences go out to the families of our lost officers," said Favre. "We ask that you pray for the City of Bay St. Louis, the Bay St. Louis Police Department and their families and that you keep them in your thoughts in the coming days and weeks during this difficult time."
In a separate statement, Bay St. Louis Police Chief Toby Schwartz called the incident "a tragedy," and described Estorffe and Robin as two of the police department's "finest" officers.
"We are gathering facts and will ensure a thorough investigation into this matter," Schwartz added.
Alex Sundby contributed reporting.
