Three people were killed and eight others were wounded in central Mississippi early Saturday when at least two people opened fire on a group of several hundred celebrating their school’s football victory on an open field several hours after the game, authorities said. said.
The shooting was caused by a fight between some of the men at the party, but deputies have not yet learned what sparked the fight, Holmes County Sheriff Willie March said.
Between 200 and 300 people were celebrating on the trail and the shooting sent them fleeing, the sheriff said in a telephone interview.
“It was chaos, to tell you the truth,” March said. “The shooting just started and people started running.”
The shooting, about five miles (3 kilometers) outside of Lexington, Mississippi, followed a football game several hours earlier at the Holmes County Unified School District homecoming celebration. After the win, dozens of young people took to the aisle to celebrate.
Lexington is more than 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Jackson.
Two of the dead victims were 19 years old, and the third was 25. The injured were transported by helicopter to local hospitals.
Deputies were collecting ammunition at the scene in an attempt to determine how many guns were fired, March said.
Shootings by young men have recently been an up and coming issue in the county, which has a population of almost 16,000. Young men who talk to the sheriff tell him it’s often because they have a “beef” or disagreement with someone.
“It’s hard to see what they’re arguing about. I don’t think they’re fighting over territory or drugs,” March said. “These are young men walking around with guns. I wish I had an answer.
