One town has canceled its holiday plans due to growing concerns about gun violence.

Crawford, Mississippi's mayor announced that the small town has canceled its Christmas parade due to a growing trend of gun violence in the town.


“You can hear the ‘boom, boom, boom,'” Mayor Willie Parson told WCBI. “They’re shooting like 30 or 40 rounds at one time. That’s what I call a war.”

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While only one person has been injured to date, several homes and vehicles have been shot into.

Parson claims that this level of gunfire is unusual for the Mississippi town. They are concerned about who might use a firearm at a mass public event like a parade.

"When they go to the parade, 100 or 200 or 300 people are there, and you never know who's going to have a gun or who's going to have what," Parson said.

Detective Drew McCain with the Lowndes County Sheriff's Department confirmed the increase in shootings, claiming that the department is investigating "anywhere from five to 10 [incidents] right now." The Sheriff's Department also announced that it would increase patrols throughout Crawford.

"About three vehicles have been shot into that came very close to hitting people," he said, also citing damage to local homes.

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Crawford is located 166 miles northwest of the Mississippi capitol, Jackson.

The Crawford Christmas parade has been a tradition for 20 years. Crawford's mayor canceled the parade in 2020 due to COVID-19. This would be the second year where the event was canceled over concerns for public safety.