STARKVILLE Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant on Sunday expressed his sorrow at the shooting deaths of two college students in the state over the weekend.
Late Saturday, 21-year-old John Sanderson of Madison, Miss., was shot to death in a Mississippi State University dormitory, though the killing appears to be isolated, according to university officials.
Early Sunday, a 19-year-old freshman at Jackson State University died from being shot in the face and killed at an off-campus apartment pool party in Jackson. Police identified the victim as Nolan Ryan Henderson III of Atlanta.
Bryant said in a statement that he and his wife, Deborah, were “saddened to learn that Mississippi lost two college students this weekend.” He said he’s spoken with university leaders and instructed the state public safety commissioner to assist in the investigations.
“Those perpetuating these crimes will be apprehended and held accountable,” he said. “Mississippi does not take these instances lightly, and, rest assured, we will continue to provide a safe learning environment for students at all our Mississippi College and University campuses.”
At Mississippi State, university president Mark Keenum said in a statement on the school’s website Sunday that the killing of Sanderson was the first time a student had been shot on the campus. Keenum said officials could reveal few other details because of the ongoing investigation.
University spokeswoman Maridith Geuder said police received a call about the shooting at Evans Hall around 10 p.m. Saturday. Police were on the scene within a minute. Sanderson was taken to Oktibbeha County Hospital, where he died.
