A tragic workplace shooting unfolded Friday morning at Ingalls Shipbuilding, the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi and a major builder of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels.
Authorities confirmed that one person was killed following a dispute that turned violent near one of the ships under construction. Officials identified the suspected shooter as 25-year-old Curtis James Jr. of Mobile, Alabama, who was taken into custody shortly after the incident.
Investigators revealed that the shooting stemmed from an ongoing conflict between two men who knew each other. The argument reportedly began earlier in the week and escalated into gunfire around 7:30 a.m. local time.
The victim, a shipbuilder from Prichard, Alabama, has not yet been publicly named. Ingalls Shipbuilding’s parent company, HII, confirmed the loss and urged employees to shelter in place during the lockdown.
The shooting occurred close to a Navy ship already in the water. Officials said there was no damage to the vessel during the incident.
The suspect was captured approximately an hour and a half later, bringing an end to the tense situation that shook the Gulf Coast’s shipbuilding hub.
Located in Pascagoula, Ingalls Shipbuilding employs more than 8,000 workers and has served as the primary builder of U.S. Navy surface combatants for over 85 years. The city of Pascagoula, home to about 22,000 residents, is deeply tied to the shipyard’s legacy as a cornerstone of the nation’s naval defense.
