Suspect at large after mass shooting at Mississippi nightclub leaves one dead and 12 injured
A rally against gun violence had been held in West Point just hours before the shooting
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One woman has been killed and 12 other victims injured in a mass shooting at a nightclub in Mississippi, with the suspect still at large.
The shooting unfolded on Sunday morning at Club Oasis in West Point when a suspect opened fire at the club.
Clay County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene to find multiple people suffering gunshot wounds.
A 20-year-old woman was pronounced dead, with 12 others wounded.
The suspect had fled the scene, with club security chasing the individual across the club’s parking lot, before they made it across a four-lane highway and into nearby woods.
The unidentified individual was still at large as of Monday morning, according to local law enforcement.
Local media reported that most of the people at the club were from outside Clay County.
The sheriff warned revellers to avoid large gatherings due to the threat of gun violence.
“These large gatherings right now are just not wise to do,” Sheriff Eddie Scott told WCBI. “We understand people wanna go and they wanna relax and they wanna have fun, but look around us.
“Again, I think you are taking a chance on your life right now when you go to these large events. So we are just advising everybody to be careful. Parents know where your kids are. Make sure they are not in an environment where they can get hurt.”
Investigators were probing how the suspect managed to get a weapon inside the venue – and why surveillance footage was not in use at the club that night.
Sunday morning’s shooting came just hours after a local rally against gun violence was held by the Clay County Community Action Group.
Community member R.H. Brown told WCBI that this marked yet another deadly shooting for the small town of around 11,000 people.
“In spite of the circumstances, we are called to pray without ceasing no matter what happens whether there is life, death,” Mr Brown said. “People of faith believe that we have the answer and we will continue to pray. We will continue to pray without ceasing.”
The Independent’s request for comment from the sheriff’s office was not immediately returned on Monday morning.
The shooting at Club Oasis marks the 66th mass shooting for the United States this year, per the Gun Violence Archive’s definition of four or more persons injured.