A 17-year-old is under arrest after he shot a modified 12-gauge shotgun inside a Mississippi residence, striking and killing a 31-year-old woman.

Dambrell L. Thomas, 31, was fatally shot in the chest on George F. West Boulevard in Natchez, according to Adams County Coroner James Lee. Thomas was pronounced dead around 2 p.m. Sunday.

The Natchez Democrat reported that the suspect used what was believed to be a modified 12-gauge shotgun to fire the fatal shot.

“This is just horrible,” Coroner Lee said. “My heart goes out to these families because it’s a no-win situation in our community. Everyone is affected by these avoidable tragedies. We should never stop praying.”

The incident reportedly stemmed from an earlier altercation between a 17-year-old juvenile and an adult man at a residence. After the altercation, the juvenile left but later returned with the weapon and fired it inside the house, striking Thomas.

The suspect barricaded himself inside the Old Thompson School following the shooting. Officers surrounded the building and, with the assistance of the suspect’s father, convinced him to surrender to authorities.

“We believe the weapon he showed officers is the murder weapon,” Natchez Police Chief Cal Green said. “We expect him to be charged as an adult.”

The investigation is ongoing as the community mourns yet another avoidable tragedy.