Arkansas Shooting: In a tragic event on Friday, a gunman opened fire at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce, Arkansas, resulting in three deaths and ten injuries. The incident, which unfolded around 11.30 am, left the store and nearby parked cars riddled with bullet holes as people scrambled for safety both inside and outside the store.
Among the injured were two law enforcement officers who exchanged gunfire with the suspect, according to state police. The suspected shooter, identified as 44-year-old Travis Eugene Posey of New Edinburg, was apprehended and charged with three counts of capital murder.
Additional charges are pending. Authorities have yet to determine if Posey has legal representation, and the Ouachita County Sheriff’s Office has not provided further information.
Col. Mike Hagar, director of the Arkansas State Police and public safety secretary, expressed the community’s grief, stating, “It’s tragic, our hearts are broken.” He added that the injuries ranged from non-life-threatening to extremely critical, but the officers’ and Posey’s injuries were not life-threatening.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and the police have not identified the victims. This incident is the latest in a series of mass shootings at grocery stores, reminiscent of the 2022 Buffalo supermarket attack and the 2021 Boulder, Colorado supermarket shooting.
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City council member Roderick Rogers recounted the chaos as people fled in all directions, some heading to a nearby hospital for safety. Video footage from the scene showed individuals lying in the parking lot and the sound of multiple gunshots.
Amiya Doherty, who was in her mother’s car in the parking lot, initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks until she saw a man firing a gun. “I held my sister’s hand and I told her I love her,” Doherty told KATV.
Images from the scene depicted numerous bullet holes in the store’s windows and shell casings scattered across the parking lot. Response efforts included local and state agencies, with at least one medical helicopter arriving on the scene.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised the swift actions of law enforcement and first responders, stating on social media, “My prayers are with the victims and all those impacted by this.” The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation and would receive ongoing updates.
David Rodriguez, a witness, described the escalating chaos as he observed the scene from a nearby gas station. Initially hearing what he thought were fireworks, Rodriguez soon saw people fleeing and one individual lying on the ground. He captured the ensuing gunfire and the arrival of police and ambulances on his phone, describing the situation as “the bullets were just flying.”
