(MENAFN) Four people lost their lives and 16 others were wounded during a shooting at a high school homecoming event in Leland, Mississippi, officials confirmed Saturday. In a separate incident elsewhere in the state, two additional fatalities were reported in another homecoming-related shooting.

John Lee, the mayor of Leland, told media the violence erupted around midnight Friday on the city’s main street, where large crowds had gathered for the traditional high school homecoming celebration. At least 12 of the injured victims required hospitalization.

State Senator Derrick Simmons provided further details, stating the shooting occurred at a post-game gathering, with four victims airlifted in critical condition to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. No suspects have been apprehended, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is currently leading the investigation.

Leland, a small city with a population of roughly 3,800 residents as of 2023, remains shaken. A Leland police official, who requested anonymity, said the case is ongoing but declined to provide additional information.

Mayor Lee offered condolences, saying, “I just want to send our condolences to the families of the deceased and to all those who are being treated. We need to be in prayer for our city.”

Approximately 200 miles southeast in Heidelberg, Mississippi, authorities are probing a separate homecoming weekend shooting that left two people dead.

Additionally, unconfirmed reports indicate a third shooting may have occurred Friday night at Rolling Fork High School, about 40 miles south of Leland. The Sharkey County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene, but no further details have been released.

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