NEWTOWN, Conn. – As many as six mass shootings occurred in multiple U.S. states over the weekend, with the deadliest in Mississippi and South Carolina.
In Mississippi, six people were killed and more than a dozen others were injured in a shooting that took place after a high school football homecoming game in the town of Leland. The FBI has announced the arrest of four suspects in this attack, which includes three individuals in their 20s and one individual in their 40s. Authorities have not announced a motive for this attack.
In South Carolina, four people were killed and at least 20 others injured after a shooting took place at a crowded bar on St. Helena Island. Authorities are investigating persons of interest, but an arrest has not been announced and a motive has not been released.
Over the weekend, other tragedies occurred in Texas, Kansas, Ohio, and an additional attack in South Carolina. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 340 mass shootings throughout the United States in 2025 where four or more people have been killed or injured, excluding the shooter.
In response to this attack, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“The people of St. Helena Island and Leland are living every community’s worst nightmare. In a few moments, their sense of safety was permanently stolen, and families were left shattered. Gun violence touches the lives of every person in our nation, and we must come together to do all we can to prevent these tragedies. No one should live in fear of being shot at their school, at a football game, in a bar, or at any public space.
“Gun violence isn’t destiny – it’s a choice we allow by doing nothing. We know how to stop it. We just need the courage to do it. When we recognize warning signs, say something to get help, and pass policies that protect our communities, we can create a safer future without the fear and horror of attacks like these.”
For more information about the warning signs of violence, resources for communities, and other proven violence-prevention programs, please visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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Nick Dmitrovich | [email protected] | 203-304-9780 Ext. 279