Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith's proposal comes as state lawmakers weigh options for addressing the Jackson water crisis before the end of the 2021 legislation session. Credit: Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today/ Report for America

The U.S. Secret Service is expected to be in Lincoln County today to investigate after gunshots were fired Sunday by an unknown person near the home of U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

No one was injured in the incident, and federal, state and local law enforcement are investigating, according to a statement from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

On social media, Hyde Smith said Monday, “An incident involving a shooting occurred near the home of Sen. Hyde-Smith early Sunday afternoon. The senator and her family were not harmed. Sen. Hyde-Smith is grateful for the concern shown by many and the good work of federal, state and local law enforcement.”

On Tuesday, U.S. Capitol Police issued a statement.

“We are working with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on this case to figure out exactly what happened, while we coordinate with the Senator’s Office to ensure her safety.”

The shots were fired from a 9 mm weapon, according to a law enforcement source, and were fired in the general direction of the vehicle of a family member of Hyde-Smith’s as the person drove up the driveway toward the house near Brookhaven in south Mississippi.

The incident occurred about 12:30 p.m. Sunday. After the shooting, a witness saw a vehicle speeding away.

Hyde-Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2018 to fill a vacancy. She won a special election later that year and won an election for a full six-year term in 2020.

Correction 10/24/23: This story and its headline have been corrected to reflect that U.S. Capitol Police is investigating the incident. It was also updated to include a statement from Capitol Police.

Update 10/23/23: This story was updated to add comments from Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

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Bobby Harrison, Mississippi Today Ideas editor, previously served as Mississippi Today's senior capitol reporter covering politics, government and the Mississippi State Legislature. He writes a weekly column.

A native of Laurel, Bobby joined our team June 2018 after working for the North Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo since 1984. He also worked for his hometown Laurel Leader-Call.

Bobby has a bachelor’s in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi and has received multiple awards from the Mississippi Press Association, including the Bill Minor Best Investigative/In-depth Reporting and Best Commentary Column. He was recognized for two consecutive years as “Advocate of the Year” for the North Mississippi Special Needs Arc.

He is president of the Mississippi Capitol Press Corps Association and works with the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute to arrange luncheons for newsmakers.