LELAND, MISSISSIPPI: A tragic mass shooting occurred in Leland, Mississippi, during the city’s annual high school homecoming celebration.
The incident took place around midnight on Main Street, following the Leland High School football game against Charleston High School. What began as a festive gathering turned chaotic when gunfire erupted, leaving six people dead and at least 14 others injured.
According to the Washington County coroner, four individuals were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others died later in local hospitals.
Among the deceased were Oreshama Johnson, 41; Calvin Plant, 19; Shelbyona Powell, 25; Kaslyn Johnson, 18; Amos Brantley Jr., 18; and LaMichael Jones, 34. Approximately 14 others were injured, with four in critical condition and airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with emergency responders from multiple agencies quickly arriving to assist. Leland Mayor John Lee expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, noting that such violence was unprecedented in their close-knit community.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is leading the inquiry, and authorities have taken 18-year-old Tylar Jarod Goodloe into custody as a suspect. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and investigations are ongoing.
This incident is part of a troubling pattern of violence during high school homecoming celebrations in Mississippi. Earlier the same evening, two people were fatally shot in Heidelberg, and two others were injured in Rolling Fork. Governor Tate Reeves has expressed condolences and pledged justice for the victims.
The Leland shooting is one of the deadliest acts of violence in the state’s recent history, prompting renewed calls for stronger gun control and community safety measures.
