Photo: E+
A series of shootings tied to high school and college homecoming events in Mississippi has left at least eight people dead and more than 20 injured, per WAPT.
The deadliest shooting unfolded in Leland, Mississippi, just after midnight on Saturday (October 11). According to the Associated Press, at least four people were killed at a gathering following Leland High School's homecoming game, and two others died at the hospital. More than a dozen others were injured.
No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The FBI in Jackson has launched an investigation.
“People were just congregating and having a good time in the downtown of Leland,” State Senator Derrick Simmons, who described the scene as “very chaotic," said.
“It’s just senseless gun violence,” Simmons added. “What we are experiencing now is just a proliferation of guns being in circulation.”
Another shooting unfolded at Heidelberg High School in eastern Mississippi on Saturday, leaving at least two people dead and one person injured.
Tylar Jarod Goodloe, 18, has been charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of possessing a deadly weapon on school property. It's unclear whether the victims were students.
A separate shooting came after a homecoming game at South Delta High School in Rolling Fork on Saturday. Two individuals have been taken into custody. It's unclear whether anyone was injured.
“Our team of law enforcement officers are committed to pursuing justice swiftly and ensuring the safety of all residents and visitors," the Sharkey County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
In Jackson, an 11-year-old boy was shot in the stomach while tailgating at Jackson State University’s homecoming game on Saturday. The shooting occurred around 7 p.m. near Veterans Memorial Stadium. The boy was hospitalized, but his condition remains unclear.
On the same day, Brekyra Fisher, 29, of Vicksburg, was shot and killed on the campus of Alcorn State University around 6:30 p.m. near the Industrial Technology Building. Two other people were also injured in the shooting.
Another shooting on Sunday (October 12) left a woman shot in the head while she was riding in an SUV on Cynthia Road near Highway 49 in Jackson. A six-year-old child was in the back seat but was unharmed. Interim Police Chief Tyree Jones said the shots were fired into the vehicle by unknown suspects.
Authorities and community leaders are calling it one most violent weekends in recent state history. Anyone with information about any of the shootings is urged to contact local authorities or Crime Stoppers.
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