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NATCHEZ — A Natchez man was shot in the chest and a bullet grazed another man in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Natchez Police Commander Jerry Ford said three men were sitting on a car in the area of 634 Maple St. at about 1:30 a.m. when someone shot at them with what was apparently an automatic weapon.

The man who was shot in the chest was transported to Merit Health Natchez and later airlifted to a Baton Rouge hospital, Ford said.

“He was stable when he left here,” he said.

The shots were heard and frightened residents on North Pearl Street, Linton Avenue and North Union streets, according to posts on social media.

Ford said police have no suspects yet but the shooting is under investigation. He said .223 and 5.56 shell casings were recovered at the scene.

“Those indicate the shots came from a big rifle like an automatic rifle,” he said.

Ford said he thinks the shooting was related to others that have occurred recently.

“Right now we think it might be sort of a little retaliation going on from some of these previous shootings we have had,” Ford said.

Anyone with knowledge or any information about the shooting is asked to contact the Natchez Police Department at 601-445-5565 or to call Crime Stoppers at 888-4423-5001. All calls and information provided to Crime Stoppers remain confidential.

• In other criminal activity, the owner of a home at 502 S. Commerce St., contacted police about someone working to break into the home by going under the house and sawing into the floor boards.

Ford said the house is vacant. Two brothers who own the house reported to police it once belonged to their grandmother and it is now being used for storage.