In a shocking attack on innocent people, former WSOP Circuit Ring winner Moe Moeini is one of five people who have died in Biloxi, Mississippi after a shooting on Wednesday morning.
With a police stand-off, a double-shooting in a hotel then an armed suspect being killed, the case has already attracted widespread attention in local news, but it is the death of the former WSOP winner Moeini that has much of the poker community in shock.
What Happened in Mississippi?
The shootout in Biloxi came at the Broadway Inn Express motel, a business owned by the Moe Moeini, where the police suspect Jeremy Alesunder Reynolds, 32, shot former WSOP Circuit ring winner Moeini as well as Chad Green, a 55-year-old member of the hotel staff and Laura Lehman, who also worked for the Broadway Inn.
After fleeing the scene, Reynolds apparently carjacked 52-year-old William Waltman, who he also shot dead according to eye-witness reports, before heading to the Canal Grocery store. Police tear-gassed the building after Reynolds barricaded himself inside the property, whereupon he was eventually found dead inside. There’s no confirmation that Reynolds was shot dead by the police, so he may well have turned the gun on himself.
The death of Reynolds brought the deaths to five on a tragic day in Mississippi, with the most high-profile loss that of Moeini.
Why Did Reynolds Open Fire?
“There is a great devastation within that department and with all our city employees.”
According to WLOX News in New Orleans, the shooting began at around 9am on Wednesday morning at the hotel, with the dispute arising over money. The situation quickly escalated into a violent situation that quickly turned deadly.
With Moeini, Green and Lehman dead, the carjacking and subsequent death of Reynolds himself brought the killing to a close after a day that has shocked the community.
“We’ve had a tragic loss,” said Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes at a press conference. “For the city of Gulfport, we’ve lost one of our co-workers. Mr. Waltman was a contract employee with our Public Works department and provided a lot of leadership to our teams, and so there is a great devastation within that department and with all our city employees. Words don’t suffice for what we’re dealing with.”
Moe Moeini’s Poker Legacy
Moeini may have won a WSOP Circuit event, but that was not the limit of his achievements in the game. He was a much-loved player, and his win in the 2014 WSOP Circuit Biloxi Main Event for $106,101 was not the only victory in his career.
Moeini won over $520,000 in live poker tournaments, with his most recent result coming just two years ago in January 2020, where he finished ninth in a $2,000-entry event in Biloxi for a score worth $7,707.
Fellow poker player and friend of Moeini Scott Weinberg spoke to WWLTV New Orleans saying, “Just terrible sadness. Moe was just such a good guy. He was always one of the nicest people in the poker room. It’s a small community in the poker room so we all kind of know each other and we’re all friends and it’s tough on everybody.”
The cash game player and tournament enthusiast will be sadly missed, and the community of Biloxi is sure to feel the reverberations for many years to come.
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