NATCHEZ — A Natchez teen was shot and killed early Saturday morning with what appears to have been a high-powered rifle, investigators said.

Adams County Coroner James Lee said 18-year-old Makailuis L. Johnson was shot and killed early Saturday morning near 617 East Stiers Lane. Lee said he was called to the scene at 3:41 a.m. and pronounced Johnson dead at 4:10 a.m. Saturday.

“He received multiple gunshot wounds with what is believed to be a high-powered rifle,” Lee said.

Another teen, Xavier Jenkins, 18, was shot in the leg in the incident and was transported by ambulance to Jackson for the non-life-threatening injury, Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong said.

The incident occurred just before 2 a.m. Saturday, Armstrong said, as three men sat in a vehicle near 617 East Stiers Lane.

“Someone came up and fired shots at the vehicle, and they said they didn’t know who it was,” Armstrong said. “Investigators (with Natchez Police Department) came out and processed the scene, so we are looking at the evidence we did collect and are talking to individuals about what they may have seen or heard.”

A third person in the vehicle was not injured, Armstrong said.

Lee said Saturday morning’s shooting death is another tragedy for the community.

“And only God knows why?” Lee said. “A lot of people will be hurt behind this.”

Lee said he doesn’t know specifically how many homicide scenes he has been called to this year, but the number of homicides has been most in one year he has seen as coroner.

“I’ve been coroner 20 years but this year has surpassed all of my years, as it relates to homicide,” Lee said.

Anyone with any information on the case, is asked to call the Natchez Police Department at 601-445-3554 or Crime Stoppers at 601-442-5000.