Nine people have now been arrested in connection with the mass shooting that killed six and injured more than a dozen others last Friday in Leland, Mississippi, an FBI special agent announced Thursday.
Robert Eikhoff, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Jackson Field Office, confirmed the number of arrests has risen from five previously reported. He did not provide further details about the new arrests or the specific charges. Several suspects already face capital murder charges related to the shooting.
Two of the injured remain in critical condition.
The shooting occurred around midnight during a community gathering downtown celebrating high school homecoming weekend, shortly after the football game ended.
The downtown streets remained marked by tragedy on Thursday, with broken glass scattered and a makeshift memorial of stuffed animals and candles nearby.
Leland Mayor John Lee described the community’s feelings as “kind of numbness at this point,” noting that grieving families lack closure as funerals have yet to be scheduled. He emphasized that an event of this magnitude is unprecedented in the small town.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but the FBI indicated the gunfire appears to have been “sparked by a disagreement among several individuals.” Law enforcement continues to post photos of suspects wanted for questioning and urges the public to come forward with any valuable information.
“We believe there are people who have valuable information who have not yet spoken with law enforcement,” Eikhoff said.
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