Shooting at Mississippi homecoming football game leaves 4 dead and several others injured

Four people have been killed and a dozen more were injured in a mass shooting at a high school football homecoming game in Mississippi, state authorities have said.

The shootings happened in the downtown area of the small town of Leland, where people had gathered following the game, according to Mississippi state Senator Derrick Simmons.

The identity of the shooter is not known and they remained at large as of Saturday morning, authorities said.

As well as the deceased, four other victims were taken to a hospital in Greenville and then flown to a larger hospital in the state capital city of Jackson, Simmons told The Associated Press.

The shootings happened on the school campus where the Heidelberg Oilers were playing their homecoming football game Friday night, though it is unclear exactly when the gunfire occurred or how close it was to the stadium.

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Simmons said the scene had become “very chaotic,” and that police, sheriff’s deputies and ambulances “responded from all over.”

“It’s just senseless gun violence,” he said. “What we are experiencing now is just a proliferation of guns just being in circulation.” He added that though not much information was available that law enforcement was investigating.

“They are on the ground working and I have all the faith in the world that they will get to the bottom of this,” he said.

“As the state senator for the area, we are asking any and all individuals who might have any information regarding the horrific shooting last night to come forward and provide whatever information they have,” he added.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Leland Mayor John Lee said: “Our prayers and condolences go out to the family of the deceased and the ones that’s been injured and shot.”

“It was homecoming weekend, of course, and everybody’s family and friends and neighbors [were] together having fun in the downtown area, as we do every year.”

“Justice will be served,” he added.

Leland has a population of only around 4,000 residents is about 85 miles southeast of the state capital city of Jackson.