US mass shootings: 3 locations in Mississippi, 1 gunman, 6 dead; suspect taken into custody - Key Updates

US mass shootings: At least six people were fatally shot on Friday night in Clay County, Mississippi by a single gunman in incidents that sprawled across three different crime scenes, as per reports.

According to a Facebook post by Eddie Scott, the Clay County sheriff, the suspect is in custody “and no longer poses a threat” to the community.

Although the Sheriff's post did not provide a specific figure for the number of fatalities, but WTVA, an NBC News affiliate said six people died.

Mississippi shooting: Key updates

– ‘Multiple innocent lives lost’ - Sheriff Scott said on Facebook that "multiple innocent lives" were lost "due to violence" in the town of West Point, near the Alabama border.

– 1 gunman, 6 people, 3 locations - The shootings were carried out by a single gunman in incidents that sprawled across three different crime scenes in Mississippi.

– Suspect in custody - As per multiple local media reports, the suspect was taken into custody on Saturday, 10 January.

– Probe underway - Officials are yet to determine the shooter's motive behind the harrowing act, reported NBC News. Investigations into the crime are underway.

– Call for prayers - The sheriff urged people to remember the victims and their families as investigators continue their work. "I ask that you lift our victims and their families in your prayers," Scott wrote on Facebook.

– Small community shaken - Clay County, located in northeastern Mississippi near the Alabama border, has a population of nearly 20,000, as per Reuters. The shootings have sent shockwaves through the rural community, with officials expected to provide further updates as the investigation progresses.

Saturday's shooting comes days after another mass shooting occurred in Mississippi's Heidelberg. In October, last year, four people were killed and 12 others were injured in the shooting incident that unfolded after a homecoming game at Leland High School.