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Mississippi alligator breaks 2 state records and is possibly a world record

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Mississippi alligator breaks 2 state records and is possibly a world record



‘When she came up she was under the bottom of the boat in between the pontoons. She was slapping the boat with her tail and all that. I thought she was going to knock my motor off for a minute.’

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After two frustrating nights on the last weekend of the season, a Mississippi hunter caught the alligator he’d been after, but what he didn’t realize when he pulled it in his boat was that not only did it break two state records, it’s possibly a world record.

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Jason Ullendorf said a cousin of his was buying a part at a boat shop last week when he was told about an alligator in the Pascagoula River. The alligator had been spotted near a sandbar and had been making people visiting the location uncomfortable.

“We figured we’d help them out and get it out of there,” Ullendorf said. “We went down there to look at it, and it was a pretty good gator. It’s kind of crazy how it happened.”

Catching it was easier said than done, though. Ullendorf and members of his hunting party repeatedly hooked the alligator, only to have the hooks pull out or break off when the alligator would go under logs.

“We chased it from about 9 o’clock until about 3 o’clock in the morning,” Ullendorf said. “By then we’d lost all our hooks.”

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More: Hunters bag Mississippi alligator weighing almost 700 pounds

Another long night of hunting alligators

The following day, Ullendorf bought more hooks and returned to the river with only one other hunter, Joseph Mangano of Richton. Fortunately, they found the alligator in the same spot as the night before. Unfortunately, it was shaping up to be a replay of the night before with the two repeatedly hooking the alligator, only to have the hooks pull free.

“It was frustrating,” Mangano said. “At one point, we got so frustrated we left it and an hour later started again. We knew we would hook it, but we were going to have to get it out of the trees.”

At 4:45 a.m., the hunters got a break. The alligator surfaced in open water near the sandbar. The two hooked the alligator with a rod and reel and then got a hand line on it as the alligator towed the two men and their 18-foot pontoon boat upriver. Everything was going relatively smoothly until they pulled the gator near the boat.

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“When she came up she was under the bottom of the boat in between the pontoons,” Ullendorf said. “She was slapping the boat with her tail and all that. I thought she was going to knock my motor off for a minute.”

More: ‘The size and mass of his head is unreal.’ Mississippi alligator hunters bag 800-pound giant

Mississippi hunters suspect their alligator is a female

The two got the alligator in their boat and while Ullendorf referred to it as a “she,” he didn’t think it was a female at the time. This alligator was too big to be a female, and the longest female alligator ever recorded in the state was caught in 2022 by Jim Denson and measured 10 feet, 2 inches.

“As soon as she came up we said, ‘That’s a male,’” Ullendorf said. “We never second-guessed it.”

But then they did. When to two took the alligator to Mangano’s business in Richton, Running M Meat Company, they discovered the alligator didn’t have male sex organs.

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“I couldn’t believe it at first,” Ullendorf said. “We called Andrew Arnett to come down and verify it. I didn’t believe it at all.”

Is this Mississippi alligator a world record?

Arnett is the head of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Alligator Program. He confirmed it was a female and certified it at 11 feet, 3/4 inches long and 324 pounds. Not only was it a state record for longest female, it was the new state record for heaviest.

However, it may have broken another record, if only it existed. Multiple internet searches came up empty for an official world record for female alligators, but some states keep official records. According to searches by the hunters and Arnett, the longest female alligator on record before Ullendorf’s was 10 feet, 6.75 inches long and it was caught in Florida. If that’s true, Ullendorf has the new world record for longest female alligator.

“Just from what I’ve seen online, I think so,” Arnett said.

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 17, 2026

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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 17, 2026


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The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 17, 2026, results for each game:

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Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 17 drawing

03-06-10-13-24

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 17 drawing

Midday: 6-1-7, FB: 4

Evening: 6-4-0, FB: 5

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 17 drawing

Midday: 9-8-4-1, FB: 4

Evening: 9-1-2-3, FB: 5

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 17 drawing

Midday: 09

Evening: 11

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Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Story continues below gallery.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.

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Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:

Mississippi Lottery Corporation

P.O. Box 321462

Flowood, MS

39232

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If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.

Mississippi Lottery Headquarters

1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100

Flowood, MS

39232

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Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.

When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?

  • Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
  • Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
  • Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
  • Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Mississippi police shooting: How Walmart shoplifting call ended in baby’s death

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Mississippi police shooting: How Walmart shoplifting call ended in baby’s death


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The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating a shoplifting call that resulted in the death of a one-year-old child in Northwest Mississippi.

The incident, which occurred on June 14, has led the family to hire a civil rights attorney, and the officer involved is facing repercussions. Protests have also broken out in response to the city’s lack of action against the officers involved in the incident.

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Here is what to know about the situation so far.

Why were policed called to the Walmart in Senatobia?

On June 14, police were called to the Walmart on U.S. 51 in Senatobia regarding a shoplifting incident. Officers with the Senatobia Police Department and the Tate County Sheriff’s Office responded and, upon arrival, saw two subjects and a child fleeing from the store into a vehicle.

According to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, officers attempted to stop the vehicle as the driver drove toward them. One officer shot into the car as the car fled the scene.

Later, the subjects arrived at the local hospital, where the child, 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, was pronounced dead and another subject had critical injuries.

What happened to the officer?

On June 16, the city of Senatobia announced the police officer who shot and killed Wiley was placed on leave.

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The announcement came shortly after police deployed tear gas on a group of protestors outside the Walmart where the incident took place. The Walmart was temporarily closed but reopened around 8:20 a.m., according to WMC Action News 5, The Commercial Appeal’s broadcast partner.

“We’re saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store,” a Walmart spokesperson told WMC. “The safety of our associates and customers is a top priority. We’re working with law enforcement as they continue investigating.”

Is the family taking legal action?

Wiley’s family retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the attorney’s office announced on June 16.

“A 1-year-old child is dead because police officers in Mississippi opened fire on a car in a crowded Walmart parking lot,” said Crump in the statement. “Kohen Wiley was a baby. His mother, who has not been charged with any crime, says she was trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car. They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him.”

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Where is Senatobia?

Senatobia is roughly 40 miles directly south of Memphis and sits along Interstate 55 in Mississippi. According to the most recent Census, the city has a population of approximately 8,400 people.

Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com



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1-year-old child killed and 1 person injured after Mississippi police shoot at car

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1-year-old child killed and 1 person injured after Mississippi police shoot at car


A 1-year-old boy is dead and another person wounded after a Mississippi police officer shot at a vehicle while responding to a shoplifting call, according to authorities and the child’s grandfather.

The child’s mother, her friend and 1-year-old Kohen Wiley were in the vehicle during the shooting on Sunday, Marquell Bridges, a community advocate who is helping the family find legal representation, said. Wiley’s mother was physically unharmed, but her friend was seriously injured, said Bridges, the president and founder of an advocacy group called the Building Bridges Coalition.

The three had gotten into the vehicle after exiting a Walmart in Senatobia, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. As police tried to stop the vehicle, the driver drove toward them and almost hit an officer, according to the bureau, which is investigating the shooting. An officer then shot at the vehicle, which drove away.

The two women drove to a hospital, where Kohen was pronounced dead.

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Carlos Haynes described his grandson as a happy baby and said he was looking forward to watching him grow.

“Someone ended it all before it could even start,” Haynes said.

The Senatobia Police Department, which responded to the call, did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ inquiries.

“As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.

The Tate County Sheriff’s Office, which was also present during the shooting, declined to comment.

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Walmart said it is working with law enforcement during the investigation.

“We’re saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store,” a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement.

Senatobia is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Memphis, Tennessee.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.



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