2 police officers shot and killed in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

By Matt Phillips, CNN

Two police officers were shot and killed early Wednesday morning in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, officials said.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves identified the slain officers as Officer Branden Estorffe and Sgt. Steven Robin, according to a tweet from his verified account.

“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,” Reeves wrote. “Mississippians will never forget the sacrifice of these heroes.”

The two officers received a call for service at a Motel 6 on Highway 90, according to a news release from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. The officers encountered a woman who shot both officers before turning the gun on herself.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety on Friday identified the shooter as 43-year-old Amy Anderson.

The agency said the officers had responded to a call for a welfare check at a motel in Bay St. Louis. When officers arrived, they located Anderson who was “was sitting in a parked vehicle along with a minor female,” according to the agency.

“After nearly a 30-minute interaction with Anderson, during which time Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services was called, Anderson discharged a weapon from inside the vehicle striking both officers,” the MDPS said.

Officer Robin died at the scene and Officer Estorffe died a short time later, MDPS said. Anderson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound according to police.

“A tragedy occurred here today in the city of Bay St. Louis as two of our finest officers’ lives were taken,” said Bay St. Louis Police Chief Toby Schwartz. “We are gathering facts and will ensure a thorough investigation into this matter.”

This continues to be an open and ongoing investigation.

Bay St. Louis Police Chief Toby Schwartz said at a Thursday news conference that both Robin and Estorffe were “trusted colleagues and outstanding officers.”

Robin was a 12-year law enforcement veteran who rose through the ranks to become a supervisor, Schwartz said, and served with the Bay St. Louis Police Department since 2019.

“He knew it was his job to make great cops out of young rookies,” he said. “He truly embraced his place as a role model in the profession. Steven did his job as supervisor extremely well, he provided so much love to those entering the profession.”

Robin was known to have a serious face described as “stone-like,” though Schwartz said Robin always had the best intentions for his officers.

Estorffe grew up in a law enforcement family and was known for his quick wit and charm, Schwartz said.

“Branden was an exceptional cadet who was truly going places in law enforcement and our police department,” he said. “He had a maturity, politeness and a professionalism about him not many 23- year-olds have.”

Neighboring law enforcement agencies are providing resources and responding to calls as the department processes the loss, according to Schwartz. Funeral information will be provided in the days ahead, he said.

Services for the officers are set to take place on Wednesday, December 21, at the Bay St. Louis Community Center, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.

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CNN’s Hannah Sarisohn, Amanda Watts, Joe Sutton and Paradise Afshar contributed to this report.