Governor addresses shooting at Mississippi Mudbug Festival

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) — Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves held a news conference on Monday to address the violence that took place at the Mississippi Mudbug Festival in Jackson on Saturday, April 30.

The governor expressed his frustration about what he calls the “reckless endangerment” by the suspects. He commended law enforcement officers for taking swift action at the Mississippi Mudbug Festival after a fight led to a shootout at the event.

The last day of the Mississippi Mudbug Festival was canceled after a shooting in the parking lot left one person dead and at least five others injured.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what led up to the shooting. Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said there were several shooters, but many of the victims seemed to be bystanders.

The case is being considered an officer-involved shooting, so the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) will be assisting in the case.

A law enforcement officer shot and killed one of the people suspected of firing shots at a festival in Mississippi, a sheriff said late Saturday. Organizers said in response to the shootings, they canceled the final day of the Mississippi Mudbug Festival at the state fairgrounds in Jackson.

Reeves said the state is working to press the need to invest in law enforcement to ensure the safety of citizens.

“And we’ll be spending significant additional resources on Capitol Police, for instance. But it’s not just police presence, because that’s one of the frustrating things is that some of these individuals literally have such such low regard for human life. There was law enforcement on the scene almost immediately on Saturday evening, and so, it’s not just law enforcement, although that’s an important piece of it, an important component of it. The reality is when these individuals commit these crimes, they need to be put in jail and they need to stay there for a long, long, long time,” the governor said.

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson addressed the shooting on social media.

“The events of this year demonstrate clearly – it is past time for there to be dramatic and drastic changes in Hinds County; changes that will safeguard law-abiding citizens while simultaneously holding criminals accountable for their actions. Let me be clear: law enforcement is not at fault. The judicial system whereby criminals are allowed to go unpunished is to blame. It is this system I vow to boldly seek to change for the future of our Capital City and for the future of the State of Mississippi. I pledge my efforts and I call on city and county officials, district attorneys, judges, all local churches, all district and statewide officials, and the Legislature to join me in this pursuit. And I hope you will join me in this endeavor in prayer and in action – to once again bring LAW and ORDER and PEACE back to the City of Jackson, Mississippi,” Gipson stated.

MBI investigators are asking the public to report any information about the shooting. Investigators will accept names, videos or any details that may lead to a person of interest. Report an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-888-8CRIMES or submit a tip to MBITIPS@dps.ms.gov.