According to Holmes County Sheriff Willie March, as reported by the Clarion Ledger, deputies were dispatched at 12:30 a.m. in response to reports of multiple shootings or fatalities near North Highway 17 on Saturday.

Location of the Shooting

The incident occurred just five minutes from Lexington, Mississippi, which is approximately 62 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi.

Circumstances of the Incident

Sheriff March stated that the shooting erupted during a trail ride after an argument among a group of young men escalated, leading to a shooter firing into the gathering.

He noted that the outbreak of violence followed the homecoming festivities for Holmes County Consolidated School, where the local football team had celebrated a victory.

“Everyone was eager to celebrate the win, but not everyone had that same positive mindset,” said March.

Some of the injured individuals required airlifting to a hospital in Jackson, while others were transported via ambulance, the sheriff mentioned to the Clarion Ledger.

Additionally, Sheriff March informed WJTV that law enforcement is actively pursuing the suspects involved in the shooting, with assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Identities of Victims

The sheriff disclosed the names of those who tragically lost their lives:

• Martel Gibson, 25, from Durant
• Shundra Chestnut, 19, from Kosciusko
• John Jenkins, 19, from Durant

Recent Shootings in the South

This mass shooting marks the third in the South within just a month. In Birmingham, Alabama, a shooting on September 21 resulted in four fatalities and 17 injuries in a popular entertainment area; a suspect, Damien McDaniel, has since been arrested.

Furthermore, a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia on September 4, took the lives of four individuals and harmed nine others. The accused shooter, 14-year-old Colt Gray, and his father, Colin Gray, have faced multiple charges this week.