PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Authorities have identified the victim in Friday morning’s tragic workplace shooting at Ingalls Shipbuilding as Tahj Johnson, an employee at the Pascagoula shipyard, fatally shot by suspect Curtis James Jr., 25, of Mobile, Alabama. Johnson, known to colleagues as a dedicated and hardworking team member, lost his life during the incident.
According to Pascagoula Police Chief Terry Scott, the shooting happened around 7:30 a.m. on August 22, 2025, aboard a vessel that was under construction. The incident sparked an immediate lockdown across the massive shipbuilding facility.
Police confirmed that both Johnson and James were employed by Ingalls Shipbuilding. Chief Scott stated that preliminary findings suggest the shooting may have stemmed from an altercation between the two men earlier in the week. The firearm believed to have been used has not yet been recovered, and detectives are working to determine how James was able to bring a weapon into the secured shipyard.
No other injuries were reported during the violent incident.
An Ingalls Shipbuilding spokesperson said that an “active shooter” situation was declared, and all employees were directed to shelter in place until the scene was secured. After the suspect was taken into custody, workers were released for the remainder of the day with pay. The company also announced that grief counseling and support services would be available for staff affected by the tragedy.
Multiple law enforcement agencies across Jackson County assisted Pascagoula Police in responding to the shooting. Officials urged the public to avoid the area while first responders worked to secure the shipyard and conduct interviews with employees who witnessed the event.
While speculation about possible related incidents outside of the facility has circulated on social media, Chief Scott stressed that there is no confirmed connection beyond the workplace shooting. He added that the investigation remains ongoing and more information will be released as it becomes available.
Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries), is the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi and one of the nation’s leading suppliers of vessels for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.
The city of Pascagoula, located in Jackson County and home to approximately 22,000 residents, is now reeling from the loss of Tahj Johnson, a young man whose life was cut short in a place meant for hard work and building the future of the nation’s defense.
Leave a Reply