LAWRENCE COUNTY — A birthday party gone awry Sunday has left aMcComb man dead.

Sonny “Jamaica” Gaines, 25, of 1009 Mary Drive, McComb,apparently died of several gun shot wounds just before 1 a.m.Sunday, according to Jimmy Barton, criminal investigator for theLawrence County Sheriff’s Department.

After being summoned to the scene for a “shooting,” lawenforcement officials found Gaines outside on the ground at thehome of Earnest Martin, near the intersection of Nola Road and ElamTyler Road, Barton said.

Barton thinks Gaines, who is originally from Jacksonville, Fla.,was attending a birthday party when an argument might have brokenout or a gun went off accidentally.

“Right now, were are unsure of what happened, but there wereseveral witnesses and we are interviewing them,” Barton said.

The cause of death appears to be gunshot wounds, but an autopsywill be performed in Jackson to gain more clues.

“We are investigating it as a murder,” Barton added.

He is thankful for the assistance of several other lawenforcement agencies, including Mississippi Highway Patrol criminalinvestigation department, Lawrence County Coroner, MonticelloPolice Department, Jefferson Davison County Coroner and the 15thdistrict attorney’s office.

The sheriff’s department, along with MHP, will now head up theinvestigation. They are asking for help from the community insolving this death. Anyone with information about the shooting, maycall 587-2961 or 833-7811.