This past weekend the second annual Mississippi Mudbug Festival was held in Jackson. The crawfish was the main attraction, but there was also live music and fair rides. Many families made their way out to the fairgrounds for opening night. Sadly, on the fourth night this family friendly event turned into a fatal shoot out. On Saturday, April 30 around 10 p.m. gunfire broke out throughout the fairgrounds. Over 100 rounds were fired, and several people were taken to local hospitals after injuries. A family friendly event that was meant to be fun and entertaining, turned tragic leaving one teenager dead.

There has been a dramatic increase in crime in the capitol city of Mississippi. In 2021 Jackson’s rate of killings per capita ranked highest in the United States. There were over 160 killings in 2021 and the homicide rate for Jackson is 99.5 per 100,00 residents. These rates are topping other high crime locations such as Memphis and Atlanta. Many illegal guns are being used in these shootings including machine guns. Low police force and poverty in the metro area does not help either. This was the 50th shooting that has taken another life in Jackson.

Our capitol should be a safe city for everyone including residents and visitors. Sadly, if the murders continue, we will be ranked number one per capita again. We must all come together as a community and state to prevent more killings. For more information or to report a crime go to https://www.dps.ms.gov/crime-stoppers/program-information.

 

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