Four people were injured in a shooting near Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus, Mississippi on Monday (July 31).
The Columbus Police Department told WBLT that two people got into an altercation around North Leigh Road near the back of the hospital close to 4:00 p.m. “It is still early in the case, but we believe there was an argument of some type between persons in these two vehicles,” Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry told the news station.
He continued, “We believe the suspects in the first vehicle opened their door and started shooting toward the victim’s vehicle. Four people in the second vehicle were injured, and we believe they were struck by gunfire. The [suspect’s] car left the area at that time and the victims were treated at Baptist Hospital.” According to Daughtry, four people have been detained for questioning. “We are continuing to sort out what happened,” the chief added. “The area is safe — we are working to determine if they knew one another.”
This incident comes days after a mass shooting that took place this past Sunday (July 30), at a large block party in Muncie, Indiana, leaving one person dead and more than a dozen others injured, according to the local police. “Words cannot express our deep grief and sympathy for the families of those injured, and we are taking swift action to prevent future incidents, [providing] relief for the victims and their families, and [will] encourage mental health resources for our community at large,” Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour said in a statement. “As the investigation is ongoing, we will keep the public updated as we are able. At this time, we do not believe that this was the act of a single gunman with the intent to target a specific group of people.”