Tragedy Strikes Arkansas Town: Four Dead, Several Injured in Fordyce Grocery Store Shooting

Fordyce, AR — A tragic event unfolded in the small town of Fordyce, Arkansas, when a gunman opened fire at the local Mad Butcher grocery store just before noon on Friday, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and injuring several others, including two police officers. The shooter, identified as 44-year-old Travis Eugene Posey, was apprehended following a shootout with law enforcement.

Director of the Arkansas State Police, Mike Hagar, revealed at a news conference that, including the deceased, thirteen people were affected in the incident. Among the injured, some conditions were reported as critically severe, with four civilians still hospitalized by Saturday evening.

The victims, identified through police and family statements, were Callie Weems, 23; Roy Sturgis, 50; Shirley Taylor, 62; and 81-year-old Ellen Shrum. This incident has shaken the tight-knit community around the grocery store, located about 70 miles south of Little Rock.

Hagar, who also serves as the state’s secretary of public safety, noted that determining the shooter’s motive was too premature in the ongoing investigation. Initial assessments indicated no apparent connection between Posey, who was using a 12-gauge shotgun, and any of his victims. Authorities described the act as random targeting of people present at the scene.

After receiving medical attention for injuries sustained during his capture, Posey was booked on allegations of first-degree murder, which were expected to be upgraded to capital murder charges.

The community has been left reeling by the violence, described by some as reminiscent of a movie scene. Witnesses recounted shootings beginning in the parking lot — impacting both passersby and parked vehicles. Meat cutter Matt Gill recalled the harrowing moments he had to flee to safety. Sisters Amiya and Ashiya Doherty narrowly escaped injury in their family SUV.

Local pastor and Fordyce native, Roderick Rogers, shared his disbelief at the chaotic scene, illustrating the extent of the tragedy with his account of seeing victims in the parking lot amid ongoing gunfire.

The Arkansas attack followed close on the heels of another mass shooting incident in Oakland, California, complicating a week already burdened with national sorrow. National responses have included an acknowledgment from Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who commended the rapid and courageous response of law enforcement officers and first responders.

As the Fordyce community mourns and seeks healing, questions about the prevalence of such violent incidents and discussions on public safety and gun control are expected to continue to resonate both locally and nationally. Among such heartbreak and violence, the resilience and unity of affected communities come to the fore, underlining the human cost of such senseless acts and the shared national challenge in addressing and preventing them.