Several individuals were injured in a shooting at Alcorn State University in Mississippi during the institution’s homecoming festivities. This incident marks the third shooting at similar events in the state over the weekend.

The university issued an emergency alert shortly after 7 p.m. on Saturday, warning students and staff to take shelter.

‘If you are on campus, seek shelter immediately. Do not leave your secure location until given an all clear by Campus Police,’ the alert read.

According to witnesses, several shots rang out around 6:30 p.m. in the area near Jack’s Grocery Store on the university’s campus.

‘There were so many shots, I lost count,’ one witness, who requested to remain anonymous, told Vicksburg News.

The witness reported that at least two people had been shot, with one victim suffering what were believed to be serious, life-threatening injuries. 

Another person was seen being carried away on a stretcher as paramedics provided emergency care, Vicksburg News reported.

A witness described a scene where one injured person was temporarily covered with a white sheet before paramedics returned to provide medical assistance and subsequently transported the individual to the hospital by ambulance.

Police officers were later observed searching the area as part of their investigation.

University officials have not released further details about the victims or any possible suspect.

This incident adds to a concerning trend of gun violence at school-related gatherings throughout Mississippi. It follows three other shootings at high school homecoming events in the state.

In the Mississippi Delta region, a pregnant woman was among six people killed when tragedy struck during a high school homecoming celebration. 

The festive gathering turned violent when two separate shootings erupted after a homecoming football game.

State Senator Derrick Simmons shared that people had gathered in downtown Leland, a small community with fewer than 4,000 people, and were enjoying themselves when the incident occurred.

‘It’s just senseless gun violence. What we are experiencing now is just a proliferation of guns just being in circulation.’

About 20 people were injured in the Leland gunfire after the post-game gathering downtown. Of those, four were in critical condition and flown from a hospital in nearby Greenville to a larger medical center in Jackson, Simmons said.

Meanwhile, police in Heidelberg, a small town in eastern Mississippi, are investigating another shooting during that community’s homecoming weekend that left two people dead.

Both victims were killed on the school campus Friday night, according to Heidelberg Police Chief Cornell White, who declined to say whether the victims were students or to provide additional details.

‘Right now we’ve still got a subject at large, but I can’t give specifics,’ White said Saturday morning.

An 18-year-old man was being sought for questioning in the Heidelberg shooting, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The sheriff urged anyone with information to contact local authorities.

The shooting occurred on the Heidelberg Oilers’ homecoming football field, in a town of about 640 residents located roughly 85 miles southeast of Jackson. 

It was not immediately clear when the gunfire began or how close it was to the stadium.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is assisting local and federal law enforcement agencies with the ongoing investigations.

‘Our state is praying for the victims and their families, as well as the entire Heidelberg and Leland communities,’ Gov. Tate Reeves said in a social media post. ‘Those responsible will be brought to justice.’

In Sharkey County, also in the Mississippi Delta region, the local sheriff confirmed another shooting after a high school football game on Friday night. Two people have been arrested in connection with that incident, according to Sheriff Herbert Ceaser Sr.

The sheriff’s statement did not include details on possible injuries but said: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family during this incredibly difficult time.’

Authorities across Mississippi continue to investigate the series of shootings that have shaken communities during what were meant to be celebratory homecoming weekends.