Mississippi: Homecoming weekend shootings leave 9 dead, dozens injured in 5 counties - National & International News - TUE 14Oct2025 -

Mississippi: Homecoming weekend shootings leave 9 dead, dozens injured in five counties

Mississippi had an incredibly bloody weekend as many schools and universities held homecoming events and games. Separate shootings in five counties left 9 people dead and dozens injured, many of them on or near school campuses.

The deadliest event occurred in Leland in Washington County where the local high school hosted their homecoming game. Four people were shot and killed on the scene during celebrations in downtown Leland on Friday night. By Saturday morning, two more succumbed to injuries sustained in the shooting, bringing the total fatalities to 6. Authorities said on Friday night that gunfire injured at least 20 others. The FBI has announced 4 arrests in connection with the incident and more arrests are pending. Three people have been charged with murder and one with attempted murder. Authorities say the violence arose from an interpersonal dispute.

In Heidelberg, MS, (a town of about 640 residents in Jasper County), two people were found shot dead on the campus of the high school which was also hosting a homecoming game. One of the victims was a pregnant woman. One 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting, charged with two counts of murder and one charge of illegally carrying a gun on a school campus.

A third shooting left one 29-year-old woman dead on the campus of Alcorn State University, which was likewise celebrating homecoming. Another shooting at South Delta High School in Rolling Fork (Sharkey County) left one person wounded but stable. Two individuals have been arrested in the Rolling Fork incident. A child was seriously injured in a fifth shooting near the stadium of Jackson State University.

Thorough investigation promised after Tennessee munitions factory explosion killed 16

An explosion at a munitions factory last Friday rattled buildings 20 miles away. The factory belonged to defense contractor Accurate Energetic Systems (AES), which has several facilities in Hickman and Humphreys counties in central Tennessee. The factory that exploded was in Bucksnort, TN. The blast left no survivors and killed 16 people.

State and federal investigators have been on the scene since Friday, treading carefully and mindful of still present dangers. Footage from before and after the explosion reveals the scale of the destruction. When Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis was asked to describe the building on Friday, he said, “There’s nothing to describe; it’s gone”.

As locals mourn the dead, investigators are left with a daunting task of piecing together what happened. Recovering remains has been challenging enough, but investigators must seek clues to the cause of the explosion, some of which may have blown miles away from the sight. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is assisting. Sheriff Davis said it could be months before investigators can even rule out foul play.

In 2014, an explosion at another AES facility in McEwen, TN, in Humphreys County killed one person and injured three others. Work in munitions is inherently dangerous. Despite the hazards, AES has proven attractive as a job prospect in this area of rural Tennessee. A person with only a high school diploma and mechanical aptitude earn $19-$21/hour in an entry-level position.