Six people were killed in downtown Leland, Mississippi Friday night after a homecoming football game at the high school. Twenty people were injured in the shooting, four critically.
One hundred twenty miles to the south at Alcorn State one was killed and two injured on Saturday following a football game, and across the state two were killed in Heidelberg during the homecoming festivities.
Tim Rutledge of the Mississippi Law Enforcement Alliance for Peer Support says there is a culture of violence within certain communities that has to change.
“This culture where the more violent you are, the more dangerous you are, the more celebrated you are, the more you're held up as a hero … It's a culture of, I want to make my mark, and so I'm just going to kill as many people as I can,” he said.
A culture that has been growing over the last few years may by the enormity of the tragedy over the weekend awakened some people. Rutledge hopes he’s seeing a tipping point.
“Across the state now, and this weekend, I see a lot of embarrassment, and so maybe that's what we're looking for. Maybe we'll have a change, a long-term change. Our governor, who's embarrassed by it, made several statements about it to local community leaders, mayors, principals of high schools. I'm seeing leadership change, leadership finally addressing this.”
He says the solution, from his perspective, is to go back to old-fashioned values.
“You commit a crime, there's harsh punishment, and certainly not a reward for that. We have to get the system working again … harsh, severe, long-term punishment for wrongdoing.”
