JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson police are investigating a chaotic scene that unfolded outside of the King Edwards Hotel on Sunday, May 9. A Facebook Live video showed a busy downtown area as officers responded to the scene.
“It was probably about 11:30 p.m. It all sounded like a war zone. I heard, ‘boom boom boom boom,'” said Mark Bradford, who said he was visiting Jackson at the time.
According to witnesses, dozens ran from the Daquiri Bar on Capitol Street. Hotel guests said they were awakened by what sounded like gunfire.
“I looked out, and I didn’t really see anything. Then, maybe about a minute later, I heard some more gunshots off in the distance,” said Bradford.
“There were, I think, a series of at least three rounds of shots. They were definitely loud. They were gunshots,” said Sarah Whalen, who also said she was visiting Jackson at the time.
Hotel guests woke up Monday morning with a view of shattered glass and bullet casings.
City workers swiftly cleaned up the mess. In video, it shows much of Capitol Street blocked off by Jackson police. Witnesses said it remained that way for hours.
“I don’t feel safe. I pretty much just want to get what I got to do and then head back home into the safety of my own neighborhood,” said Bradford.
“You know, I wasn’t terrified. But at the same time, it was a lot of gunshots. I would imagine that the City of Jackson wants to do a major investigation into why it happened,” said Whalen.