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NATCHEZ — Three shootings in Natchez in less than a week have some residents in the city on edge and concerned about their safety.

On Nov. 10, a woman was shot twice on St. Catherine Street near Holy Family Church while sitting in a car with another person. Police said two people walked up to the woman and shot into the vehicle; authorities have said they have no suspect or motive in the case.

On the afternoon of Nov. 11, 61-year-old James Mitchell was painting the porch on his 841 Martin Luther King St. home when he was shot in the head and killed. Police say they have no suspect in the case and no motive for the killing.

On the afternoon of Nov. 17 in broad daylight, Je’mario Clay, 23, was shot three times on Daisy Street near George F. West — one bullet hit his hand, one bullet grazed his arm and the third bullet struck his forehead. Clay is alive and recovering. Police have said they have a suspect’s name but have not released a motive for the shooting.

Addressing the issue

Sixth Circuit District Attorney Tim Cotton has raised concerns about victims not cooperating with police and not signing affidavits because of a fear of retaliation, citing those concerns in the Sunday afternoon shooting incident.

Cotton has asked area law enforcement to not share specifics of crimes with the media moving forward.

“Where it pertains to victims and witnesses and individuals, especially in pre-trial matters, it is still a pending investigation. It is improper to put those people out there and present them in danger that could compromise an investigation,” he said.

Cotton said a sense of tension prevails in the community because of shootings and other violent crimes.

“There needs to be a whole sense of calm that would allow people to figure out what they should do without this fear and tension,” he said.

As for the most recent shootings, Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson on Wednesday would not comment on whether any were captured on any of the NOLA cameras at work in the city.

“We don’t reveal the location of crime cameras and we can’t let people know what we’ve got. The investigation is ongoing. If you reveal things, it can compromise the whole thing,” Gibson said. “This is the point. At the end of the day, we’ve got to keep the city safe. Sometimes that means we just can’t talk about things.”

However, Gibson said he plans to hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. Thursday on the steps of City Hall to address community concerns about the shootings and crime in Natchez.

This story is a developing one and will be updated after the press conference.