At least 6 killed and others injured in Mississippi shootings near high school football games, authorities say
By Michelle Watson, CNN
(CNN) — At least three shootings across Mississippi this weekend, all apparently connected to high school football games, left several people dead, including an expectant mother, and others injured.
Four people were killed and at least 12 others were injured in a shooting in the northwestern Mississippi city of Leland late Friday or early Saturday, the city’s mayor said.
Mayor John Lee told CNN that 16 people were shot and four were killed near downtown Leland around midnight. Lee did not clarify whether he counted the four dead among the 16.
No one was in custody in connection with the shooting, he said. An investigation is underway, the Leland Police Department told CNN when asked about reports of a shooting. It did not release further information.
The shooting happened during a gathering after Leland High School’s homecoming football game, CNN affiliate WAPT reported, citing state Sen. Derrick Simmons. CNN was not immediately able to reach Simmons.
Heidelberg Police Chief Cornell White told CNN affiliate WDAM at least two people were fatally shot and another wounded Friday night at the Heidelberg High School grounds. On Saturday, officials with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department said they had a person in connection with the shooting.
And in Sharkey County, the sheriff’s department said it had arrested and charged at least two people in connection with a shooting “that occurred outside of the football game,” Friday night.
“Sheriff Ceaser want to make it absolutely clear that acts of violence in our community will not be tolerated,” a Facebook post from the Sharkey County Sheriff’s Department said. “Our team of law enforcement officers are committed to pursuing justice swiftly and ensuring the safety of all residents and visitors that come to our county.”
Shootings jar small communities
“People were just congregating and having a good time in the downtown of Leland,” Simmons told The Associated Press.
“It’s just senseless gun violence,” he said, according to the AP. “What we are experiencing now is just a proliferation of guns just being in circulation.”
The shooting did not happen near the high school, said Lee, who did not offer further details about the shooting to CNN. Leland, a city of about 4,000 residents, is about a 115-mile drive northwest of the state’s capital, Jackson.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said it is assisting in the investigation, but deferred to Leland police for release of details about the incident.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X the agency “is aware and engaged,” regarding the Leland shooting, and is “mobilizing assets to assist local authorities in the case.”
“Please pray for the victims and their families. We will update as able,” Patel wrote.
Gov. Tate Reeves issued a statement on X, saying the state “is praying for the victims and their families.”
“Those responsible will be brought to justice,” Reeves added.
This story was updated with additional information.
CNN’s Hanna Park and Nayeli Jaramillo-Plata contributed to this report.
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