Mississippi deputies shoot, kill Eden man outside courthouse. Report: He was trying to ignite propane tanks

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Mississippi authorities shot and killed an Eden man Thursday after he tried to set off an explosion outside a courthouse along the Gulf Coast, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi.

David Wyrick, 59, who also has an address in Swansboro, N.C., drove a stolen pickup truck through fencing at the Jackson County Courthouse, parked near a large propane tank, then attempted to ignite propane tanks in the back of his truck to set off a blast and chain reaction, according to the sheriff's office.

Public records show Wyrick lived in Greensboro from 1983 to 2016.

Once deputies arrived on the scene at about 12:30 p.m., Wyrick ran. Next, Wyrick and law enforcement began a gunfight, firing dozens of shots. Wyrick was killed in the exchange. No officers were injured, according to the sheriff's office.

Authorities have not commented on Wyrick's motive for the crime or explained his connection to Mississippi.

Wyrick had a history of problems with the law, according to news reports and court records.

Between 1983 and 2016, he was charged in Guilford County with numerous felonies, including involuntary manslaughter, breaking and entering, larceny, and carrying a concealed weapon, court records show.

Wyrick was reported missing in Onslow County, N.C., in 2025. In February 2025, he was arrested in Florida and charged in connection with stabbing a Monroe County, Fla., deputy in the face, attempting to take the deputy's weapon, and resisting arrest, according to court records.

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