Eighteen people were shot in five incidents in Clarksdale and Coahoma County over the weekend, but as of Monday morning there are no fatalities.
Clarksdale police said the shootings started in the 300 block of Delta Avenue about 2:45 a.m. Sunday, with two groups firing at each other and more than a dozen people carried to local hospitals, the second shooting occurred on West Second Street a short time later and the third shooting that morning occurred in the parking lot of B-Quick on Friars Point Road, where one person was hit by gunfire.
A shooting in Jonestown Monday morning is believed to have hurt two people. It is not known if that shooting is related to the Clarksdale shootings.
“When units arrived, it was discovered that a large crowd had gathered in the 300 block of Delta Street when unknown subjects started shooting firearms,” Police said in an updated press release. “There were a total of 12 people shot: Six females and six males.”
A person shot in an apparent drive-by shooting on East Second Street occurred in front of the Clarksdale Press Register around 3:10 a.m. A puddle of blood was found on the street in front of the Clarksdale Press Register.
“A male was shot in this incident and we are looking for a white Dodge Charger,” said Police Chief Robbie Linley following the shooting in downtown Clarksdale Sunday morning. “This victim was transported by ambulance to the hospital.”
Linley said the third shooting in the city took place at the intersection of Friars Point Road and Florence Street.
In that incident it was reported several subjects exchanged gunfire and a female that was sitting inside a parked vehicle was shot one time in the leg. Vehicles in the area were also hit by bullets.
There was a fourth shooting incident where someone drove past the Clarksdale hospital and fired a gun hitting the building. Linley said no one was struck in that shooting.
Linley told the Clarksdale Press Register no arrests had been made as of Monday afternoon and this is an ongoing investigation that police are taking very seriously.
“We are asking for the community’s help,” said Linley. “People know things and saw things happen that will help us identify the people responsible for this.”
The Clarksdale Police Department can be reached at 662-621-8152 and information can be given anonymously.
Linley said police have not determined a definite motive, but said it appeared to be two heavily armed groups.
“Brickyard Day was earlier that day and we have been told people had gone to Delta (Avenue), since nothing was open, because they might start serving food,” said Linley. “The shooting was back and forth and this was not a drive-by shooting.”
Linley said there was also some kind of altercation at the City Auditorium which is rented out by the city and was holding a music event. Linley said security at that event stopped the altercation
Linley said police picked up many spent shell casings – from both pistols and rifles – were found at the scene of the Delta Avenue shooting. Linley said the Friar’s Point Road incident appears to be more of a drive-by shooting.
Police do believe the three shooting incidents are related.
“We got the call from a citizen and our units were there in about a minute,” said Linley of the Delta Street shooting. “Many people were gone by that time. Most of the injured were taken by private vehicles to local hospitals.”
He said all but two were treated at the Clarksdale hospital emergency room.
“We called out all our officers and the Sheriff’s Department responded too,” said Linley. “I have asked for assistance from MBI (Mississippi Bureau of Investigation) and ATF (Federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and explosives) and they are working with us, too.
“We do believe this is gang related and are putting extra officer on the street,” said Linley. “The Coahoma County Sheriff’s Department will also help patrol streets until things calm down. We do not want another shooting.”
Linley said they do have SkyCop camera’s at the corner of Third and Delta and are also seeking private video footage from businesses and residents in the downtown and Friar’s Point Road shooting.
A shooting was also reported in Jonestown, allegedly about 2 a.m. with two people possibly shot.
A call to Coahoma County Chief Deputy Will Rooker did not provide details of this alleged incident with Rooker saying he was off duty this weekend and would get the Clarksdale Press Register details as soon as possible
These are on-going stories and will be updated regularly by the Clarksdale Press Register as information becomes available.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story updates previous information released by the Clarksdale Police Department.
