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On June 21, 2024, four people were killed and nine others injured in a mass shooting at the Mad Butcher supermarket in Fordyce, Arkansas, United States.

Shooting

At 11:38 a.m. CDT, police received calls about an active shooter at the Mad Butcher supermarket. The shooting, carried out by 44-year-old Travis Posey, who was armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, pistol, and wore a bandolier, began in the supermarket's parking lot, close to U.S Route 79. After firing at people in the parking lot, Posey then moved inside the grocery store where he fired upon customers and employees. When five law enforcement officers arrived at the scene from the Dallas County Sheriff's Office and Fordyce Police Department, Posey exited the store and engaged in a shoot-out with officers in the parking lot.

Two officers suffered non-life threatening injuries during the ensuing shootout, and the suspect was grazed in the head. He was critically injured, but was also in a non-life threatening condition. The suspect was taken into custody after less than five minutes. The shooter shot thirteen people, killing three and wounding nine, whose injuries ranged from non-life threatening to critical. A fourth person died as a result of their injuries the following day.

Victims

Four shoppers were killed as a result of the shooting, with one victim, 50-year-old Roy Sturgis, dying a day later. Callie Weems, a 23-year-old nurse, was killed while rendering aid to a shooting victim and Sturgis, a cousin of Weems, ran into the Mad Butcher to try and help people inside, leading to him being mortally wounded by Posey. Shirley Kay Taylor, 63, and Ellen Shrum, 81, were also killed.

Accused

The Ouachita County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as then 44-year-old Travis Eugene "Joey" Posey of neighboring New Edinburg, Arkansas. At the time of the shooting, Posey was the owner of a Kingsland landscaping company which he operated since 2010 as well as a local trucking service. Earlier records show that Posey attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello in 1997.

Posey was once arrested while working as a trucker by the New York State Police and charged with a single fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon charge near Watertown, New York, on November 14, 2011, after attempting to bring a weapon through the gates of Fort Drum, pleading guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct and was released on a $200 fine. Police confiscated the gun, which was not registered in New York.

On June 25, Posey appeared in court for the first time, in which he pleaded not guilty to four counts of capital murder and ten counts of attempted murder.

Aftermath and response

On June 23, hundreds gathered outside the Mad Butcher to hold a candlelight vigil for the victims of the attack and candles with the names of the victims were left outside in order to honor them. Mad Butcher was temporarily closed as a result of the shooting as authorities carried out their investigation and repairs were made to the store. As Mad Butcher is the only grocery store in the area multiple sites were set up as food distribution centers such as Fordyce High School.

Multiple state politicians and officials offered condolences for the victims and condemned the attack. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on June 28 from sunrise to sunset in honor of the four dead. Sanders stated that the deaths were "a tragedy for the entire State of Arkansas".

Fordyce Mayor John MacNichol expressed shock over the attack, stating that, "I never dreamed of this happening in our town", but he also expressed gratitude for assistance that was given to the city from all over the state as a result of the attack. Dallas County Sheriff Mike Knoedl set up a fund to support the victims of the attack as well as the Fordyce police officer that was wounded while responding to it.

The owners of Mad Butcher, Kentucky-based Houchens Food Group, released a statement in which they expressed remorse for the attack, thanked law enforcement for their response, and promised full cooperation with the investigation. Houchens later announced that they were working with local and state food pantries by donating food in order to aid the Fordyce community until they are able to reopen the grocery store.

On July 2, the Mad Butcher reopened and according to store representatives they will temporarily have limited hours and will continue to work with local food pantries. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin attended the reopening to show support for the community saying that, "there's a certain amount of healing that comes with retaking this ground that's so interwoven into the people's lives here in the community".

References

1. "SIGNS: Arkansas Mass Shooting Death Toll Rises to Four in Grocery Store Attack". 25 June 2024.
2. Jiménez, Jesus; Sanders, Hank (2024-06-21). "3 Dead and 11 Injured in Shooting at Arkansas Grocery Store". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
3. ^ Li, David K.; Romero, Dennis (2024-06-21). "2 dead, 8 wounded in Arkansas shooting at Mad Butcher grocery store". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
4. ^ "Arkansas man pleads not guilty to murder charges for mass shooting at grocery store". Associated Press. 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
5. ^ Farrar, Thomas (2024-06-23). "Arkansas State Police provide timeline, details on deadly Fordyce shooting". KATV. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
6. ^ Tabachnick, Cara (June 21, 2024). "4 killed, 9 wounded in mass shooting outside Arkansas grocery store". CBS News. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
7. Boyd, Samantha (2024-06-24). "Daughter of Fordyce victim killed in shooting says he tried saving others, drove himself to hospital". KARK-TV. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
8. Ringo, Brandon (2024-06-22). "Victims killed in Fordyce mass shooting identified". KARK-TV. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
9. Skinner, Cate; Turbeville, Ryan; Ringo, Brandon (June 21, 2024). "Authorities confirm 11 people shot, 3 dead and two officers injured in Fordyce grocery store shooting; suspect in custody". KARK. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
10. Albarado, Sonny (June 21, 2024). "Three dead, 11 injured in mass shooting at south Arkansas grocery". Arkansas Advocate. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
11. Parker, Suzi (June 21, 2024). "Travis "Joey" Posey's New Edinburg: A Quiet Community". South Arkansas Reckoning. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
12. "Police: Trucker had gun at Fort Drum gate". Northern New York 360. November 19, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
13. Ranck, Jessica (2024-06-23). "Fordyce community honors victims in Friday shooting, holds candlelight vigil". KARK-TV. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
14. Mancino, Parker; Platt, Ainsley; Mahmoud, Amir (2024-06-24). "Hundreds gather in Fordyce for vigil honoring victims of Friday's mass shooting". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
15. Demillo, Andrew (2024-06-27). "Mass shooting shutters Arkansas town's only grocery store — for now". Associated Press. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
16. Ringo, Brandon (2024-06-21). "Arkansas officials issue statements on deadly Mad Butcher grocery store shooting in Fordyce". KARK-TV. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
17. Smith, Bill (2024-06-24). "Gov. Sanders orders flags to half-staff to honor victims of deadly Fordyce mass shooting". KARK-TV. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
18. Solomon, Scott (2024-06-24). "Fordyce Mayor John MacNichol speaks with KATV about Friday's deadly mass shooting". KATV. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
19. Farrar, Thomas (2024-06-22). "Owners of Fordyce Mad Butcher store release statement after deadly shooting". KATV. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
20. Banks, Chris (2024-06-26). "Fordyce's only grocery store expects to reopen 'in the coming week' following mass shooting". KTHV. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
21. Hampton, Tylisa (2024-07-02). "Locals, employees embrace reopening of Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce after mass shooting". KARK-TV. Retrieved 2024-07-12.

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