Witness statements, the medical examiner’s findings and scene evidence led to Elisha Landry’s arrest, according to police.
GULFPORT, Fla. — Gulfport police arrested Elisha Christopher Landry after a monthlong homicide investigation into the April shooting death of Shaun Allen Hennigh, whose body was found on a garage floor.
The arrest on May 18 followed a review by Gulfport detectives, the State Attorney’s Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit and the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office. Landry, 28, was charged with second-degree murder. Police said Hennigh, 34, was Landry’s best friend and roommate, and that early statements from Landry did not match the medical and physical evidence gathered at the Tangerine Avenue South home.
Officers first went to the 5100 block of Tangerine Avenue South after Landry called 911 at 5:04 a.m. April 17. He told the dispatcher his best friend had been shot in the garage. He did not clearly say that Hennigh shot himself, police said, instead telling the dispatcher he was not sure. He also claimed he had been with the body for about 30 minutes. Responding officers found Landry in the roadway and heard him repeat that Hennigh was “in the back.” Inside the garage, officers found Hennigh on the floor. His body was cold, rigor mortis had begun, and dried blood footprints were visible around the area. Based on what officers saw, detectives were called to the scene.
The first major break in the timeline came from people nearby. Witnesses reported hearing a single gunshot and a car alarm at 12:32 a.m. That placed the likely gunfire more than four hours before the 911 call. Detectives also learned that Landry’s mother, described by police as a licensed travel nurse with more than 10 years of medical experience, had been inside the residence during that period. Police said Landry did not wake her and did not ask her to render aid. The delay became one of the central facts in the probable cause affidavit because it conflicted with Landry’s claim that he had sat with Hennigh for only 15 to 30 minutes before calling authorities.
Detectives then turned to the condition of the scene. Blood evidence was found beyond the garage, including on an outdoor bench and in the driveway. Police also found a partly dried blood pool under a package delivery storage box outside. Apparent blood smears inside the garage looked consistent with a body being dragged from outside into the garage, investigators said. Police noted the garage door was closed when officers arrived. Landry’s clothing also drew attention. Although he said he held Hennigh after the shot, technicians found only a minimal amount of blood on his jeans. Landry told police he had pulled those blue jeans over the shorts he wore during the shooting before officers arrived.
The medical examiner’s report changed the case from suspicious death to homicide, police said. Hennigh died from a single intermediate-range gunshot wound to the back of the head. The bullet entered the rear part of the skull and traveled upward. Detectives said the wound location ruled out a self-inflicted shooting and did not fit the loose suggestion of suicide left open during the initial 911 exchange. Investigators also looked at the gun described in Landry’s statements. Landry told officers that a 9 mm handgun was involved. He said he had been carrying it in a waistband holster when the two men were near the driveway. Police have not released all details about the weapon’s recovery or forensic testing.
Landry’s statements changed as investigators asked more questions, according to the affidavit. He first said Hennigh came home irate and that the two went to the garage to smoke a cigarette. He later said they were “play-fighting” when the gun went off. In one version, Hennigh pulled the handgun from Landry’s waistband holster while they were acting silly. When an officer asked whether Hennigh had held the gun to his own head, Landry said, “No dude! We were just twisting around.” Moments later, police said, he reversed part of the story and said Hennigh had not grabbed it from the holster. Later, after a Miranda warning at the police station, Landry shook his head and said he could not explain how the gun fired.
Interviews inside the home gave detectives a possible starting point for the fight. Landry’s girlfriend told police that Landry became angry because Hennigh was vaping inside the house. The argument happened upstairs, she said, before Hennigh went downstairs toward the garage. Landry then told her he was going downstairs to check on Hennigh, police said. He had the handgun in his waistband at the time. Detectives also found evidence of earlier fights over bills. Text messages from Hennigh’s phone showed that Landry had kicked Hennigh out in January because of missed or inconsistent payments, forcing Hennigh to couch surf before returning. Police did not describe one single motive as final, but they used the accounts to show ongoing tension.
The arrest came after detectives obtained a warrant. On the morning of May 18, the United States Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force assisted Gulfport police in taking Landry into custody at his residence without incident. Police said he was wanted in connection with Hennigh’s April 17 homicide. The charge filed in the warrant was second-degree murder under Florida law. Landry was transported to the Pinellas County Jail for processing. Public statements from police did not list a defense attorney or include a court date. The department said it would continue to coordinate with prosecutors as the case moved into the court system.
The procedural path matters because the case did not begin with an immediate murder arrest. Officers arrived for a death investigation. Detectives were called after the early scene raised questions. Witnesses supplied a time marker, the medical examiner supplied the manner and cause of death, and the affidavit laid out the ways police believed Landry’s account shifted. Prosecutors will now have to present the case in court, where the evidence described in the affidavit can be challenged. Police have not said whether more evidence will be released before a hearing. The presumption of innocence applies unless Landry is convicted.
The next milestone in the case was expected to come through court filings or a scheduled hearing, but no public date had been announced in early reports. Landry remains held without bond in Pinellas County as of June 17.
Author note: Last updated June 17, 2026.