1 Dead, 12 Wounded in Mass Shooting inside Nightclub in US’ Mississippi

Last Updated: March 04, 2024, 13:34 IST

West Point, Mississippi

A mass shooting at a club in the US state of Mississippi led to the death of one woman and wounded 12 others on Sunday. The shooting happened early Sunday inside Club Oasis, Clay County.

Police officers came and found a 20-year-old woman dead. The other victims suffered minor to serious injuries. One person was shot in the face.

“What we do know is that a party was advertised, and all these individuals came from other counties into our county. About 90% of the partygoers were from other counties,” Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott was quoted as saying by CNN.

The police officer said he does not know how a weapon entered the club. One security guard said they chased the suspected shooter. The person said the suspect was holding some type of rifle. The suspect ran across the parking lot and a four-lane highway and disappeared in the woods.

Scott said several hundred people were estimated to have been inside the club at the time of the shooting. The officials are working to confirm the numbers and checking if there is video footage from inside the club at the time of the shooting. “Per our ordinance, the club is supposed to have security cameras, but for some reason or another, last night, the club owner said he wasn’t working,” Scott said.

A probe has been launched and no arrests have been made. “Last night was so hectic trying to get actual good, solid information. It was very difficult with the number of victims and the chaos we had going on,” the police officer further added.

The Gun Violence Archive said that the US has witnessed 66 mass shooting incidents in the country so far this year. The Gun Violence Archive defines mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.