Residents are concerned after the Tupelo Police Department responded to several reports of shots fired.
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) – Multiple reports of shots fired have led to a busy week for the Tupelo Police Department.
Multiple shootings occurred in different parts of the city.
Two were over the weekend, with one in the Hillside area. There were no injuries reported.
The second, on Sunday, involved a 16-year-old who was shot in the 3300 block of Meadow Drive in the Haven Acres community.
The boy was shot several times, with a witness saying to police that a man shot the teen during a dispute.
"So our criminal investigative division is actively working this case,” said Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka. “I know that they've been interviewing people. I know they are doing everything they can to collect evidence.”
We don't know the condition of the teen, and police have not made an arrest.
Gun violence involving teenagers is on the rise, and it is a problem impacting communities everywhere.
Research shows the number of children and teens killed by gunfire in the US rose nearly 50 percent between 2019 and 2021.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports firearm death is the leading cause of death among teenagers in Mississippi.
The chief shared that law enforcement is looking into this uptick in crime in Tupelo.
“All I can tell you is that the Tupelo Police Department is doing all that we can to squash this,” Quaka said. “We're going to do everything we can to stop it."
The chief says the entire community needs to come together to put an end to the problem.
The chief says that this means calling when gunshots are heard and taking down a plate of a car if seen.
Quaka shared a message for anyone with a gun who lives in the All-America City.
"Let me be very clear: It is illegal to just [discharge] a firearm in the city limits of Tupelo. There are a couple of hunting exceptions, but that's if you're on property of 10 acres or more," he said.
Quaka also shared that shooting a firearm in city limits is a misdemeanor, but thinks the charge is not as much as it should be.
Monday, there were shots fired in the Green Street area.
Also on Monday, a man was seriously injured after being shot on Deer Park Road.
SEE ALSO – Charges dismissed in connection to Monday shooting in Tupelo
