Carl Bearden, a 64-year-old Black man from Prague, Oklahoma, was found deceased on April 25, 2025, in Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi, in what authorities have classified as a homicide. He had been shot in the 20000 block of Secretariat, off County Farm Road. After the shooting Bearden first sought medical help in Forrest County, then left the area attempting to travel back to Oklahoma as his condition worsened. He died from complications of the gunshot wound on a Sunday at Merit Health River Oaks in Flowood.

Harrison County authorities are conducting an ongoing investigation but have not released specific details about the circumstances of the shooting. No arrests have been announced, and information on suspects or persons of interest has not been made public. If anyone has information that could help the investigation, please contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.