Mississippi campground manager fired after pulling gun on black couple enjoying picnic with dog
A white female campground manager in Mississippi was fired from her job after she was filmed pulling a gun on a black couple who were reportedly enjoying a picnic by a lake with their dog. The incident was filmed by Jessica Richardson on her phone camera as she saw the white woman in a yellow t-shirt approaching her and her husband with a gun at the Kampgrounds of America in Starkville, north-east of Jacksonville, Sunday. The woman asked the couple to leave after she found out they did not have a reservation.
The couple, however, claimed they had asked at the front desk and were informed they did not need to be staying at the campground to spend the day by Oktibbeha County Lake, according to the Daily Mail.
The clip shows the elderly woman approaching the couple with her gun drawn after arriving in her truck. Richardson, in the video, can be heard saying: "This lady just pulled a gun because we out here and don't have reservations. The only thing you had to tell us was to leave, we would have left. You didn't have to pull a gun."
White woman pulls gun on black couple & their dog, “You can’t be here” said they needed a reservation.
— Becca Ramos⭐️ (@BeccaFromTX) May 29, 2019
Jessica Richardson filmed the incident at Kampgrounds of America in Starkville, MS on Sunday, she was there w/her husband, a #veteran.
Woman was fired.pic.twitter.com/oLqTnQ29Nh
The woman responded with: "Well I'm just telling you, you need to leave because it's under private ownership. You can't be out here." She eventually placed her gun into the pocket of her shorts as she continued to speak to the couple. The couple, however, walked away with their dog and Richardson later posted the clip on Facebook, saying "racism is alive and well."
She also added in the post: "Today was a beautiful day so my husband (who's a vet), our 2-year-old dog, and myself, decided to Google a lake to visit and have a picnic. We found a lake located in Starkville and decided to visit."
"Not five mins later a truck pulls up and a white lady screams at us, she then jumps out of her truck with a gun... and proceeded to point it at the three of us, simply because we didn't make reservations. After leaving, my husband stopped by the office and talked with her husband (they're the property managers). The husband tells my husband that reservations aren't needed for the lake," she added.
Kampgrounds of America released a statement into the incident saying: "KOA Inc. is aware of the situation that occurred Sunday, May 26th at the KOA franchise in Starkville, Mississippi. KOA is currently looking into the matter and reaching out to all of the parties involved. It prides itself on providing a welcoming, safe environment for everyone to enjoy the outdoors." The organization later confirmed it had fired the employee in question.