(StraightNews.org) – One person died, and a dozen were injured during a shooting at a nightclub in Clay County, Mississippi. The incident happened at the Ocean Club in West Point on Sunday night, March 4, and authorities later confirmed that 20-year-old Taleese Chandler had died. Officers from Clay County Sheriff’s Department said they believe the shooting was pre-planned because the time between the shooter’s arrival and the breakout of gunfire was too short for an argument or altercation to have erupted.
Sheriff Eddie Scott said it was likely that people involved in a previous or ongoing feud were in the building at the same time, but as no arrests were made, the cause and details of the incident remain unclear.
A press release from the Sheriff’s department said an out-of-town promotor was using the venue at the time and that most attendees were not from Clay County but the surrounding area. It also noted that investigators had found “multiple caliber shell casings” at the scene. Fourteen security guards were in the club at the time, and the press release stated that it is, therefore, unclear how the guns made it inside the building.
One security guard told police that he chased the suspected shooter, who he described as carrying a rifle, through a parking lot and across a four-lane highway before the suspect vanished in a nearby wooded area. He said “several hundred” people were in the club when the gunfire broke out.
Sheriff Scott stated that the club should have had security cameras in place and questioned why these were apparently not operational at the time. He added that the chaos at the event and the presence of people from outside the local region would likely complicate matters. “Last night was so hectic trying to get actual good, solid information” was a challenge, Scott said.
The shooting happened on the same day that the Clay County Community Action Group staged an anti-gun violence protest.
Copyright 2024, StraightNews.org
