NATCHEZ — Natchez police officers said they are investigating a shooting that injured a 21-year-old man at approximately 11 p.m. Thursday.

Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong said the unidentified victim was shot, possibly twice, in the chest area while he was sitting in his car parked in the 200 block of Lumber Street near Cedar Hurst Apartments.

Armstrong said the victim was taken to Merit Health Natchez and later airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson where he was sedated for treatment.

“There’s no word on his status other than he is being treated at UMMC,” Armstrong said. “He was brought to the hospital and sedated for further treatment, so the investigator didn’t get to have much of a conversation with him, but he was alert before the sedation.”

Armstrong said two witnesses were being questioned Friday about the shooting.

Armstrong said the victim’s mother said she believes her son had an argument with friends over a speaker that was stolen from his car two or three weeks ago and that the argument escalated into a physical altercation.

“She said she felt those are his childhood friends who crossed his path,” Armstrong said. “He was not able to give us their names at the time because he can’t talk and come up with the names. He’s still alert but unable to speak.”

Armstrong asked that anyone with information on the shooting call the police department at 601-445-5565 or call Crime Stoppers at 601-442-5000.