1 dead, 5 injured in shooting at Mississippi crawfish festival
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(NewsNation) — A shooting at a Mississippi crawfish festival left one person dead and several injured Saturday night in Jackson.
A law enforcement officer shot and killed one of the people suspected of firing the shots, Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said late Saturday.
On Twitter, Jones said six people were confirmed shot, including an unidentified male who died.
“Other victims appear to be stable at this time and don’t appear to be directly involved in the shooting or circumstances that led to the shooting,” Jones said on Twitter.
The shooting happened, Jones said, when two or three people exchanged gunfire around 10 p.m. in and around a vehicle in the state fairgrounds’ parking lot.
“During the course of the exchange, at least one of these individuals fired multiple rounds, multiple shots, toward the midway area of the event that was in progress,” Jones said. “We do not believe there was anybody else injured along the midway during the course of this gunfire.”
Two juveniles were detained for questioning after the shooting, Jones said, according to NewsNation local affiliate WJTV. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has been called in to assist, the station reported.
Several shooters are believed to be involved in the incident, Jones said, and the investigation is being conducted as an active shooter situation.
This is the second year of the Mississippi Mudbug Festival, which was originally set to run from Wednesday through Sunday, according to its website. The event features crawfish boils, musical performances and fair rides.
The final day of the festival was canceled following the shooting, with refunds being offered to those with tickets.
“Safety is a priority at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds. I appreciate the rapid response from the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson Police Department. Their quick action in securing the scene prevented others from potentially being hurt,” Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson said, according to WJTV.
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