Fifth inmate killed in state prison

A fifth inmate has died in violence in a Mississippi prison as several fights broke out among prisoners at three state prisons.

Sunflower County Coroner Heather Burton says 36-year-old Dennoris Howell was stabbed to death before dawn this morning at the state penitentiary at Parchman. Howell is the fifth inmate to be killed by another inmate since Sunday and the third at Parchman.

Another inmate was stabbed in this morning’s 3 a.m. incident and was taken to a Memphis hospital.

Some local officials have described the violence as gang-related, but state officials haven’t said what is driving the violence.