While much of the nation was focused on the Super Bowl Sunday night, tragedy struck a North Natchez neighborhood that has endured years of violence. Two young people were shot while sitting in a vehicle near the office of the Maryland Heights Apartments. A 29-year-old woman was killed, and the young man with her remains hospitalized, fighting for his life.
Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson addressed the incident Monday morning, calling the shooting another chapter in what he described as nearly two decades of recurring violent crime affecting three apartment complexes in the area.
“This should not be,” Gibson said. “And it is past time that this violence be put to an end.”
In response, the mayor has again requested assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) to aid the Natchez Police Department. That request was immediately accepted, with the MBI bringing in the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and additional agencies to assist in the investigation.
Gibson pointed to a similar effort following a murder in Natchez on November 16 of last year. After the MBI was called in on November 17, a large-scale, multi-agency operation followed. That effort led not only to an arrest in the murder case but also to more than 30 felony arrests tied to broader criminal activity.
“I am hopeful that this morning’s request will bring similar results and help make our city safer,” Gibson said.
According to the mayor, state investigators have identified a common factor in violent crimes in the area: long-standing cycles of retaliation that have plagued these apartment complexes for decades. Those patterns, Gibson said, have led to repeated loss of life and ongoing fear among residents.
“Lives have been lost and too many of our citizens have had to bury loved ones,” he said. “Today, a mother is grieving her daughter who just a few hours ago was beautiful and full of life. And another mother is praying her son will live.”
Gibson offered prayers for the victims’ families, as well as for residents who feel unsafe in the wake of the shooting. He emphasized the need for continued pressure until the violence is addressed permanently.
The mayor also expressed gratitude to local and state law enforcement officials, including Natchez Police Chief Cal Green, Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten, and their departments. He singled out Lt. Colonel Jimmy Herzog of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Lt. Colonel Philip Pope of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell for their ongoing support and involvement.
“From the moment I called him for help last November, he has never failed to assist and follow through,” Gibson said of Commissioner Tindell.
The investigation remains ongoing as state and local agencies work together to identify those responsible and address the broader patterns of violence in the area.
Mayor Gibson closed his statement with a message of faith and resolve for the community: prayers for protection over Natchez and for justice to prevail.
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