Gulfport Man Claimed He Was 'Play Fighting' When Gun Went Off, Killing Friend: Police

GULFPORT, FL — A Gulfport man was arrested Monday morning in connection with an April homicide investigation, authorities said.

Elisa Christopher Landry, 28, was taken into custody at his home by Gulfport police and the United States Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force.

He was charged with second-degree murder in the death of 34-year-old Shaun Allen Hennigh, police said in a news release.

The case began on April 17, when Gulfport police officers responded to the 5100 block of Tangerine Avenue South for a death investigation. Detectives were called to the scene after preliminary findings by responding officers.

During the investigation, detectives determined that Hennigh had sustained a fatal gunshot wound, police said.

Evidence collected at the scene, along with witness and resident statements, led investigators to identify suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident, detectives said.

Landry claimed that he and the victim were “play fighting” in the garage when the gun discharged, according to his arrest affidavit.

Investigators learned that Landry would often kick Hennigh out of the house while fighting, usually about money and bills, and the victim would “couch surf” until he was allowed to come back, the arrest report said.

Landry’s girlfriend told detectives that on the day of the shooting, he and Hennigh were fighting because the victim was vaping inside the house, the affidavit said.

Though Landry told officers that he at first held his friend’s body for 15 to 30 minutes after the shooting before calling 911, evidence shows he waited about four-and-a-half hours, investigators said.

The crime scene also seems to have been altered, and it appears as though Landry dragged Hennigh’s body into the garage, the affidavit said.

The Medical Examiner's report also showed that Hennigh was shot in the back of the head/neck area.

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