DURANT, Miss.–Three people were killed in a Saturday morning shooting in Holmes County. Sheriff Willie March said an argument happened before the shooting, which was just hours after the Holmes County Consolidated School homecoming.
Including the three people killed, 11 were shot in all.
The shooting happened along Hwy. 17, about five miles from Lexington. It was about 12:30 Saturday morning.
AUDIO: Sheriff Willie March
March said some young people decided to go on a trail ride and during that ride some sort of argument happened, which resulted in the shooting.
He said the participants in the trail ride were mostly young adults who were on ATVs, and it was a planned event.
He speculated that the shooting may have been the result of a vendetta, but he does not have confirmation on that.
“We’ve been having some shootings all through the year,” he said. “We don’t have a motive just why unless it was somebody looking for someone to retaliate against. That’s what we’re trying to find out.”
Dead are Martell Gibson, 25 and John Jenkins, 19, both of Durant and Shundra Chestnut, 19, of Kosciusko.
March said Chestnut may have been shot accidently, but he can’t say that for sure.
“They started running and shooting randomly,” he said.
March did not identify the other people who were hurt.
“People won’t give you the information,” said March. He said that may be part of the motive for the shooting. His office has to wait on forensics to help solve cases, which takes so long people don’t believe the case is being worked. So, they take the law into their own hands.
March couldn’t say for sure that’s what happened, but is working to develop evidence and leads.
Sherrall Spears
October 19, 2024 at 6:47 PMAnd not a single word about the cold hearted murderer. Why not ?
Wallace Simmons
October 19, 2024 at 8:19 PMMy 🙏 🙏 🙏 are with you
Terry
October 20, 2024 at 4:11 AMIgnorance is for 1 that does not know
An idiot is for 1 that do know
The world we reside in on this day
Patricia Clayton
October 21, 2024 at 8:59 AMYou know it is time for this killing to stop, we need to put the guns down and do the right thing don’t act on everything , walk away it take a bigger person to walk away
Big Mike
October 22, 2024 at 9:23 AMThis wasn’t a Trail Ride. This was a Kick Back for their victory for homecoming game.
Concerned
October 22, 2024 at 10:43 PMBig Mike , the sheriff reported it as a trail ride & that they were on ATVs & that it was a planned event. I a**ume that you’re probably trying to protect the trail ride image . But let’s keep it 100 with the people. Just because it may not have been hosted by a normal trail ride host or organization doesn’t disqualify it from being a trail ride.