Four people dead in shooting during Mississippi homecoming celebration | Mississippi

Four people were killed and 16 others were injured in a shooting during a high school football homecoming celebration in western Mississippi, local authorities said early Saturday.

John Lee, the mayor of Leland, a small city in Washington state, told the Guardian in a telephone interview on Saturday morning that the incident occurred around midnight Friday. At least 12 of the injured were treated in surrounding hospitals.

Lee said the shooting occurred on a main street in Leland, where a crowd had gathered for the town’s high school homecoming game against Charleston High School.

Few details have been confirmed, but local media reported that state senator Derrick Simmons said the attack occurred during a post-game meeting.

Simmons also said four people in critical condition were airlifted to the University of Mississippi medical center. No suspect’s name has been released or any details about whether the suspect is alive or where he is.

According to local media reports, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation.

Leland is a small city in Washington County, Mississippi, with a population of approximately 3,800 as of 2023. Data USA.

A Leland police officer, who did not give a name but responded to the Guardian’s call, said in a statement that the incident was under investigation and declined to provide further details.

The names of the victims have not yet been released.

“I would like to express our condolences to the families of those who died and to everyone who received treatment,” Lee said. “We must pray for our city”

More details coming soon …