Southaven police are asking for the public's help locating a 15-year-old girl who went missing near Southaven Middle School on Wednesday afternoon. Gracie Hood was last seen at approximately 3:15 p.m. wearing a black sweater, gray sweats and black Crocs, her hair styled in space buns.
The Southaven Police Department described Hood as a white female with dark blonde hair, standing 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 175 pounds. Investigators have not publicly stated whether they believe she ran away or may be in danger, and the department's post did not specify a motive or circumstance behind her disappearance. Anyone with information is asked to contact Southaven police at 662-393-8652 or by email at [email protected].
A Post-Dismissal Disappearance Near Campus
Hood was last seen near Southaven Middle School, located at 899 Rasco Road West and home to roughly 1,450 students in grades 6 through 8 within the DeSoto County School District, according to the Southaven Chamber of Commerce. The 3:15 p.m. timeframe falls just after the school's standard afternoon dismissal, and after the 2:50 p.m. cutoff for early student check-outs, per the school's own published policy. That timing places her disappearance squarely within the window when students typically disperse from campus grounds.
Southaven sits in DeSoto County along the Tennessee state line and is the third-most populous city in Mississippi, with a 2024 population estimated at 57,493, according to USAFacts. The city functions as the largest suburb of Memphis, Tennessee, a geography that means missing-person cases in the area can quickly involve coordination across the state line.
Department Leadership and Local Support Resources
The investigation falls under the direction of Southaven Police Chief Seth Kern, who was sworn in on May 20, 2025, succeeding former Chief Brent Vickers, who retired that month, according to a report from localmemphis.com. Kern also serves on the board of directors for the Healing Hearts Child Advocacy Center, a DeSoto County organization that provides coordinated support for child welfare and law enforcement cases involving vulnerable minors, as reported by DeSoto County News.
For complex missing-person investigations, Mississippi municipal departments can draw on specialized state resources, including the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi State University's Forensic Recovery Unit, under a formal partnership with the state Department of Public Safety established in 2025. It remains unclear whether Southaven police have requested such assistance in Hood's case, or whether the department plans to seek a statewide Endangered Missing Person Advisory. Under Mississippi law, including House Bill 377 and Miss. Code § 43-15-401, the state Department of Public Safety evaluates whether missing-person cases meet criteria for an Amber Alert or an Endangered Missing Person Advisory, escalating local bulletins to statewide broadcast channels when endangerment thresholds are met.
National Context for Missing Teen Cases
Nationally, teenagers between 15 and 17 make up the majority of endangered runaway reports, with runaways accounting for roughly 91% of all missing children cases in the United States, according to data compiled by the Missing Child Project. Separately, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported assisting law enforcement with 32,167 missing child cases in 2025, with 90% of those children ultimately recovered, per MissingKids.org.
Local police bulletins like the one issued by Southaven police are often amplified through statewide networks such as MissingSippi, a public page that relays official law enforcement alerts to help generate tips from the community. No additional details about Hood's disappearance, including any suspected cause, have been released beyond the department's description of her last known appearance and location. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact Southaven police.
