Biloxi, Miss., police have released photos of a man they say is responsible for at least some of the gunshots which wounded a police officer and four others Sunday evening during the closing hours of Black Spring Break.

Biloxi police chief John Miller said multiple shots were fired in the 2400 block of Beach Boulevard, near the Surf Style retail store, just after 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

Officers who were already nearby patrolling Spring Break activities responded to the area of the shooting, with one officer struck in the arm as he was searching for the shooter(s).

The officer and four civilians who were struck by gunfire were treated at local hospitals, with Miller saying Monday they were all in stable condition.

The photos police released to the public, taken from surveillance video from nearby businesses, show a Black male, wearing a white T-shirt with beach shorts, black tennis shoes with red laces, and a beanie-style cap. He is carrying a backpack and, in one photo, has what appears to be a gaiter covering much of his face.

Meanwhile, the Biloxi city council met Tuesday night in front of a standing-room only audience there to discuss this year’s Black Spring Break which was rife with trouble.

In addition to the Sunday evening shootings, a man was shot and killed Saturday just blocks from where Sunday’s incident took place and, also Saturday, a report of shots fired at Edgewater Mall prompted the mall to close for the remainder of the day, although police later said they found no evidence of gunfire or a weapon at the mall.

Nevertheless, city officials made it clear they would take all necessary steps to stop similar incidents during Black Spring Break.

“Let me assure everyone, the City will do everything in its power to prevent the problems we just experienced from reoccurring,” Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich said, according to television station WLOX. “This won’t happen again.”

Gilich said the City would examine every avenue to curb illegal activity, including ordinances regarding curfews, permit zones and traffic.

Miller said this year’s Black Spring Break crowd was not as large as in years past, but “we’ve had some really bad players here.”

He said some of those “bad players” came to Biloxi after cities in the Florida Panhandle considered popular spring break destinations had cracked down on illegal activity there.

According to the report, Miller said he had spoken with a law enforcement official in Florida who had expressed regret for not warning Biloxi that undesirables might be coming their way.

“The statement was made: ‘Man, we feel sorry for Biloxi,’ because they knew these folks were not going to come back to their community because of the regulations in place,” Miller said. “He regretted that the call was not made to tell us they were coming.

“And they knew they were coming (to Biloxi) because some of them told them: ‘We’re gonna go to Biloxi. That’s where we’re headed.’ Some of the people we had this year had not been here before.”

Numerous Biloxi residents also spoke during Tuesday’s meeting, including one who described last weekend’s events as an “atrocity.”

“Absolute atrocity. People stopping on my property and urinating all over it and then laughing at us as we were on our deck at 9:30 at night,” the resident said. “I felt threatened in my own home. Unbelievable.”

Complicating matters further, Miller said the assistance needed from surrounding law enforcement agencies may be harder to come by for future spring breaks, saying many officers who have volunteered to help are becoming increasingly reluctant to assist.

“They’re willing to risk their lives every day for the job, the profession they believe in,” Miller said, “but why we would knowingly put them in a position like that? So I think we’re going to have some problems unless some things are changed.”

Anyone with information regarding Sunday’s shooting, including the identity or whereabouts of the suspect, is asked to contact the Biloxi Police Department at 228-435-6112, 228-392-0614, or via email at [email protected]. Information can also be submitted via Mississippi Coast Crimestoppers at 877-787-5898.