Mississippi rundown: Tunica shooting cases develop as Southern Miss falls to Troy

October 7, 2026

Tunica County investigators reported arrests in one shooting and sought help identifying suspects in another. Southaven police also reported that a missing teenager and her infant son were found safe. In sports, Southern Miss fell to Troy in its Sun Belt football opener, while a weather-related schedule change and a canceled golf round affected Mississippi teams. The reports below were originally published during the 24 hours ending at 4:45 p.m. Central on Wednesday.

Mississippi News

Tunica deputies report arrests and seek suspects in separate shootings

Three people were arrested in connection with a September 30 shooting on Sears Avenue in Tunica, according to the Tunica County Sheriff’s Office report. Milton Smith, 19, Lamarion Smith, 18, and Quindarrius Gates, 18, each face five attempted-murder counts and two firearms-related counts. Deputies said one person was grazed by a bullet and treated at the scene. The investigation remains active; the charges are allegations, and the three men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

In a separate case, deputies asked the public to help identify two people after shots were fired into two Old Subdivision homes early Saturday near Edwards Avenue and Freemont Street. The sheriff’s office said it collected more than 90 spent shell casings. It has not reported arrests in that case. These are separate incidents, despite both occurring in Tunica’s Old Subdivision area.

Southaven search ends with mother and child safe

Southaven police said Shana Warren, 17, and her 11-month-old son, Jacob, were safely located. The department had sought information after Shana was last known to be near North Watkins and Whitney in Memphis. Its update thanked the public for helping. The report does not describe the circumstances in which they were found; the important change is that the search has ended safely.

Greenville man charged after vehicle break-ins

Greenville police charged Freddie Pam Jr. with four counts of auto burglary after investigating reports of vehicles being entered around Hospital Street. His bond was set at $150,000, police said. Officers responded to a reported burglary October 1, detained a suspect near Abraham and Railroad streets, and developed the case through their Criminal Investigation Division. The charges have not been proven in court; Pam is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Mississippi Sports

Southern Miss loses Sun Belt opener at Troy

Troy beat Southern Miss 55-34 Tuesday night in both teams’ conference opener. Southern Miss trailed 31-7 at halftime and scored 20 points in the third quarter, but Troy answered each surge. The Golden Eagles fell to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in Sun Belt play. Troy rushed for 437 yards, a decisive edge even as Southern Miss recorded 391 passing yards and 30 first downs. Landry Lyddy threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns; Mario Sanders caught eight passes for 102 yards and two scores, and he also threw a touchdown pass. Southern Miss is scheduled to host Arkansas State on October 17.

Southern Miss moves volleyball series ahead of forecast weather

Southern Miss moved its home volleyball series against Georgia State to Thursday and Friday because of forecast inclement weather in the Hattiesburg area, according to Sports Mississippi. Both matches remain at the Wellness Center: 6 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. Friday. The Golden Eagles enter at 11-4 overall and 2-2 in Sun Belt play; Georgia State is 6-10 and 0-4. Those times are the revised schedule, and readers planning to attend should use the updated dates.

Illness ends The Ally early; Mississippi State takes third

The final round of the women’s golf tournament The Ally was canceled because of illness among competing teams, Sports Mississippi reported. Results through Tuesday’s second round became final, leaving Mississippi State in third place at its home tournament in West Point. The Bulldogs have finished in the top three in each of their first three tournaments. The placing is a completed result after the cancellation, rather than a projection for an unplayed round.

Belhaven rallies behind Woodall’s 25 kills

Tarryn Woodall’s 25 kills helped Belhaven defeat LaGrange 3-1 in a Tuesday volleyball match at Rugg Arena. Belhaven took the opening set 25-20, lost the second 22-25, and closed out the match 25-18 and 25-22, according to the school’s account carried by Sports Mississippi. Woodall’s performance was the standout individual figure in a four-set win, with the Blazers recovering after the second-set setback.

Gulf Coast and Jones report two different soccer results

In one Tuesday match in Ellisville, sixth-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast beat third-ranked Jones College 2-1. Gulf Coast scored on both of its shots on goal, according to Sports Mississippi. In a separate match between the schools, fourth-ranked Jones earned a 3-3 draw when Calvin Harrison scored in the 82nd minute. Jones said that result extended its unbeaten streak to 13 matches. The two scores refer to different contests and should not be treated as conflicting accounts of one game.

Mississippi State schedules Choctaw County exhibition

Mississippi State women’s basketball plans an October 18 exhibition against Louisiana Tech at Choctaw County High School. Sports Mississippi says the event is being organized in conjunction with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. The announced game brings the Bulldogs to a high school venue rather than their usual campus court. It is an exhibition on the preseason calendar, not a regular-season result.

Featured image: Southern Miss football players in a file photo. Credit: Southern Miss Athletics.