Two toddlers shot in front of Mississippi hospital expected to survive

Two toddlers in a car were hit by gunfire from another vehicle in front of a hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, on Thursday and were in stable condition at the medical facility, police said.

The incident, in front of University of Mississippi Medical Center, was first reported to police as a possible mass shooting in progress, Jackson Police Chief James Davis told reporters.

A 1-year-old child in the car was struck in the leg and a 3-year-old sibling was hit in the torso, Davis said.

Their mother grabbed the children after the shooting and rushed them into the hospital for treatment, he said.

Police were searching for the suspect, who was driving a dark-colored sedan when he drove up to the woman and her two children and opened fire, police said.

A representative from the hospital could not immediately be reached for further details.

Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Peter Cooney