HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Authorities are searching for two men who fired gunshots from a vehicle at soldiers at a military facility in Mississippi, though no injuries have been reported, a sheriff said Tuesday.

Perry County Sheriff Jimmy Dale Smith told WDAM-TV that the shots were fired just after noon. The soldiers were training at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center near Hattiesburg.

Smith said officers are searching for a two-door, red Ford Ranger with “broken arrow” written across the top. Authorities say they are looking for two white males who allegedly fired from the vehicle and fled in the vehicle.

Members of the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Forestry Commission are assisting in the search.

The giant military base south of Hattiesburg is hosting about 4,600 active-duty soldiers, National Guard and reservists from Texas and Mississippi in a summer training exercise.

This summer’s training focuses on the coordinated efforts of individual soldiers acting as a platoon, which can vary in size but normally boasts 30-plus members.

The exercises, called “Exportable Combat Training Capability,” began in mid-July and will continue through mid-August.

Camp Shelby officials also were hosting a field hearing Tuesday by the National Commission on the Future of the Army.

The commission is an independent, congressionally mandated panel directed to assess President Barack Obama’s recommendations for restructuring the Army’s active-duty and reserve component force structures.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: