Family shares story after gunfire at Mississippi music festival

BATESVILLE, Miss. (WMC) - An investigation is underway after a shooting at a North Mississippi music festival Saturday night.

The Batesville Police Department says shots were fired at the end of SpringFest, the city’s annual spring concert on the Batesville square.

Police say the shooter and the victim knew each other, but neither person was from Panola County.

The victim was rushed to a hospital in Oxford in critical condition.

“It’s kind of just embarrassing, you know? Kind of embarrassing,” one resident said.

This Batesville resident chose to remain anonymous but told us she was at SpringFest.

She and her husband were leaving the concert, looking to meet up with their teenage daughter.

They didn’t hear the shots, but they certainly saw police and the chaos that followed.

“We immediately go into panic mode,” the woman said. “We look up and what looks like thousands run towards us trying to leave. People are screaming at you ‘Run! Run!’ and you can’t because you’re not going to leave (your daughter), so you’re running in the opposite direction trying to find her.”

Headliner for SpringFest was Batesville native and country music artist Jameson Rodgers.

Batesville Police extended an apology to Rodgers on social media saying “The incident that happened had nothing to do with all of the family, friends and fans that came to support your homecoming.”

“(Rodgers) was trying to do something nice and give back from living here for so long and knowing so many people.”

Batesville Police is not speaking at this time.

They told Action News 5 to call back Monday.

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