A group gathering that started as a festive, peaceable homecoming occasion led to tragedy on Friday night time, after gunfire erupted close to midnight within the small city of Leland, Mississippi, killing 4 folks and injuring at the least 12 others. The capturing occurred on Major Avenue, shortly after a homecoming soccer sport and tailgate hosted by Leland Excessive Faculty, officers mentioned. Whereas the occasion initially wrapped up with out incident, celebrations later moved into the center of city for a group block celebration – a long-standing custom – when violence out of the blue broke out.“The entire victims are adults,” native officers mentioned, with a number of recognized as latest graduates of Leland Excessive Faculty who had returned dwelling for the annual reunion, reported The New York Put up.4 of the wounded have been airlifted to close by hospitals, together with Baptist Medical Middle in Jackson. Their medical situations haven’t been disclosed. As of now, no suspects have been recognized or taken into custody. The Mississippi bureau of investigation is helping with the probe.Leland Mayor John Lee, who took workplace in June, expressed shock over the incident. “We solicit prayers for our group from folks internationally that’s listening to this data,” Lee mentioned. “We’re not a metropolis of excessive crime. It’s very, very low crime right here. Everyone is aware of all people, all of us get alongside effectively and we’re simply devastated by this occasion.”Faculty Superintendent Jessie King, who was current on the tailgate and sport earlier within the night, described the environment earlier than the violence as solely calm.“This yr’s celebration had been ‘image good’ and confirmed no indication of the violence that was to come back,” King advised The Put up.“We left there believing we’d examine this one off for one within the books,” she mentioned. “No points in anyway. No triggers, no warnings that one thing like this may happen. The soccer sport and the tailgate on the campus – everybody was having an excellent time and it closed down in good spirits.”The annual homecoming occasion usually attracts a whole lot of tourists to the city and serves as a casual reunion for former college students, who typically deliver school buddies alongside. This yr was no exception.Late NFL linebacker Johnie Cooks, a Leland Excessive Faculty alumnus and former New York Giants Tremendous Bowl champion, was an everyday on the occasion. Cooks handed away in 2023 on the age of 64 after struggling a stroke.Friday’s incident marks the second mass capturing in Mississippi that night time linked to highschool soccer video games. In Heidelberg, about 200 miles away, one other capturing left two lifeless and one injured following a sport.Authorities haven’t but confirmed what led to the Leland capturing.
