Three people were killed and eight wounded in Holmes County, Mississippi, early Saturday when at least two people opened fire on a group of several hundred celebrating a school’s homecoming football victory on an outdoor field after the game, authorities said.
The range shooting was after Holmes County Consolidated Schools homecoming, CBS affiliate WJTV reported. Anywhere from 200 to 300 people were on the road celebrating, and the shooting caused them to flee, Sheriff Willie March said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. The shooting was sparked by a fight between some of the men at the party, but deputies had not yet learned what sparked the fight, March said.
The shooting happened on Highway 17 North outside the town of Lexington in Holmes County, according to WJTV. Holmes County is about 70 miles north of Jackson, the state capital.
“It was chaos, to be honest,” March said. — The shooting just started and people started running.
The three victims were identified as: Martel Gibson, 25, of Durant; Shundra Chestnut, 19, of Kosciusko; and John Jenkins, 19, of Durant.
Suspects are wanted for the shooting, WJTV reported. Deputies collected ammunition at the scene in an attempt to determine how many guns were fired, March said.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the case, a spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Saturday.
“It’s hard to see what they’re fighting about. I don’t think they’re fighting about weed or drugs,” March said. “These are young men walking around with guns. I wish I had an answer.”