Mississippi, Jan 11: Six people, including a seven-year-old girl and a local pastor, were killed in a mass shooting in Mississippi, according to police, as reported by the New York Post.
Authorities said the shooting, which unfolded across three locations near West Point in Clay County on Friday evening, is the deadliest mass shooting in the state in nearly a decade. The suspect, a 24-year-old man, has been taken into custody and charged with first degree murder.
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott described the situation as one of profound grief. “It’s overwhelming grief. It’s hard to describe families are first trying to process the loss of their loved ones and then learning who was responsible,” he said at a press conference.
According to police, the violence began in Cedarbluff, west of West Point, where the accused allegedly shot and killed his father, uncle and brother. Investigators said he then fled the scene in his brother’s vehicle.
The suspect later arrived at a second residence on Blake Road, where he allegedly attempted to sexually assault a victim at gunpoint. During the incident, a seven-year-old girl was shot and killed. Police said the suspect also threatened another child under the age of seven but did not fire.
The shooting spree continued at a third location on Siloam-Griffith Road, where two brothers were fatally shot. One of the victims was identified as a pastor at a local church, authorities said.
The suspect was apprehended around 3 a.m. local time on Saturday. Police said additional charges are likely, and the case could be upgraded to capital murder.
Officials noted that the incident marks the largest mass shooting in Mississippi since 2017, when eight people were killed in a separate attack.