A Mississippi sheriff is disappointed with his constituents after being left in the dark about a mass shooting that injured four people.
Jefferson County Sheriff James Bailey Sr. took to social media to call out members of his community for not reporting the incident that took place on Saturday night. According to the sheriff, the gunfire rang out around 10 p.m. at a dog-fighting operation in Union Church, an unincorporated community within the county. Union Church has a population just shy of 1,300.
Bailey, in a Facebook video, said four unidentified individuals were injured in the shooting, and that three of the victims were airlifted to medical care in “serious condition.” No arrests have been made, and no persons of interest have been identified by authorities at this time.
While shots were fired on Saturday night, Bailey said he did not find out about the shooting until the next day when the Adams County Sheriff’s Office reached out to him.
“The other night, there was a dog fight that took place out here. We had other people from other counties who came here,” Bailey said. “What was so disappointing was that it was 12 hours later when I received a call from another agency saying that we had a shooting here in Jefferson County and that four people were shot. You had individuals who got shot out here, and no one reported this shooting — not one soul.”
Still disappointed by what he says is a lack of communication from those who elected him to protect the county, Bailey vowed to seek justice in the case while also urging citizens to help him prevent further violent incidents. In the video, the sheriff urged residents not to bring people from surrounding areas into the county, saying outsiders are responsible for the violence and gunfire in these incidents.
“All of the shootings that are taking place are other people that come into our county, our quiet county, our Jefferson County, and shooting up people in our county,” Bailey said. “I’m asking you all for mercy, and I’m praying that you all will stop inviting these other people into the county who are doing all of this shooting.”
Bailey is also asking community members to rally with him in his proposal to cancel any plans for the Fayette Day Festival this year. Fayette Day is a celebration that takes place within the county each year, serving as an outlet for the community to come together to enjoy food, music, and other activities. Bailey, on the other hand, believes the event has become a hotbed for violence and is staunchly opposed to it happening this summer.
In 2025, one person was killed, and eight people were injured in a mass shooting at the festival. Three people, two of whom were siblings, were arrested and charged with murder in connection with the case. With the legal element of that case still being sorted out and an active investigation into this past weekend’s shooting in mind, Bailey contends the event should be canceled until further notice.
“Two years ago, you had a shooting, and last year, you had a shooting, and you want to come right back and have Fayette Day. Jefferson County is not ready for a large crowd,” he said. “We have got to have respect for the ones who got shot. We have to have respect for the family members of those who were killed in the last Fayette Day shooting.”
As for Saturday’s shooting, Bailey is calling on the public to contact his office if they have any relevant information as law enforcement continues to investigate. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (601) 786-3403.
