MERIDIAN SHOOTINGS
2 shootings in Meridian, 1 resulting in death
MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) – Meridian Police are investigating two separate shootings that happened within 30 minutes of each other.
The first of the Sunday afternoon shootings happened around 2 p.m.
WTOK-TV reports that 20-year-old Demarcus Smith was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting.
The second shooting happened blocks away just 30 minutes later. Witnesses say they heard six shots, and that the victim was shot while he was sitting on his front porch. Police said the victim was hospitalized. There was no information available on his condition.
A detective said police believe the two crimes are connected, and both might be connected to another shooting that happened Saturday night.
GIRL SCOUT-TURTLES
Girl scout tapped to help free sea turtles
BILOXI, Miss. (AP) – An 18-year-old animal enthusiast and girl scout from Ocean Springs was honored over the holiday weekend by being allowed to take part in the freeing of several endangered sea turtles.
Asher Day carried the rescued turtles to the water Saturday as a crowd watched on the beach in Biloxi.
Day has been working since 2013 with the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies on a sea turtle awareness project.
She tells WLOX-TV that she held workshops and presentations to educate the community about the dangers that five species face.
The institute’s Dennis McGrury said the turtles freed Saturday were Kemp’s Ridley turtles. Some had been caught at fishing piers and some were stranded.
MOSS POINT SHOOTINGS
1 dead after triple shooting at Moss Point
MOSS POINT, Miss. (AP) – Authorities in Moss Point say one person is dead and two others hospitalized after a triple shooting at a car wash.
The shooting occurred around 8 p.m. Sunday.
A clerk who was working at a nearby store at the time of the shooting told The Sun Herald that she heard too many shots to count. She said she looked out and saw one victim on the ground between two vacuum stations.
Moss Point police confirmed Monday morning that one man died, one underwent surgery at Singing River Hospital and one was in stable condition.
Jackson County Coroner Vicki Broadus identified the dead man as 24-year-old Darnell Bolton of Moss Point. He died shortly after arriving at a hospital.
CHILD’S DEATH-INVESTIGATION
Attala authorities investigate death of 1-year-old girl
KOSCIUSKO, Miss. (AP) – Attala County authorities have launched a child abuse investigation connected to the death of a 1-year-old girl.
Jasmine Irwin was taken off life support on Sunday. She had been airlifted to University of Mississippi Medical Center after first being taken to Attala Baptist Hospital on Friday with severe head injuries.
Attala County Sheriff Tim Nail confirmed to WLBT-TV that the child had a fractured skull, bruises and burns to her feet.
MSU PROPERTY PURCHASES
MSU buying property in development-strained area near campus
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi State University is purchasing property on the edges of its campus to try to control future development. A particular area of focus is an area south of campus that’s under pressure from development of student apartments.
The College Board last month approved plans for MSU to buy three houses, spending more than $1.1 million.
MSU President Mark Keenum says the university wants to buy land as it comes available to accommodate future growth. He says a recent agreement between MSU, Starkville and Oktibbeha County to allow MSU police to make arrests up to 500 feet off campus could also help manage traffic and speeding along Blackjack and Oktoc roads, where rapid development has led residents of houses to complain they can’t get out of their driveways.
