US

Three people killed and 10 wounded after supermarket shooting in Arkansas

The suspect, Travis Eugene Posey (44), was also wounded in a shoot-out with police before being arrested

he shooting occurred at the Mad Butcher grocery in Fordyce, a town of 3,200 people about 112km south of Little Rock. Photograph: iStock

Sat Jun 22 2024 - 07:58

A shooter opened fire at an Arkansas supermarket on Friday, killing three civilians and wounding 10 other people, including two police officers, Arkansas State Police have said.

The suspect was also wounded in a shoot-out with police, Arkansas State Police director Mike Hagar told reporters.

The shooting occurred at the Mad Butcher grocery in Fordyce, a town of 3,200 people about 112km south of Little Rock.

“Unfortunately, we can confirm that 11 innocent civilians were shot, and three of those are deceased. Two law enforcement officers were injured in the exchange of gunfire. The suspect was also shot and taken into custody,” Hagar said.

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The wounded police officers and the suspect were expected to survive, he said, adding that civilian injuries ranged from non-life-threatening to extremely critical.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear.

On Friday evening, police identified the shooting suspect as Travis Eugene Posey (44) of New Edinburg, a community southeast of Fordyce.

Posey will be charged with three counts of capital murder, police said, noting that additional charges were pending. An inmate registry for Ouachita County (which adjoins Dallas County, where the shooting took place) showed that he was being held there on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Video and images on social media showed bullet holes in a window of the store, and someone holding what appeared to be a rifle firing shots from the parking lot.

David Rodriguez was filling up his car at a nearby petrol station when he heard a few pops that he thought were fireworks.

“Then, all the sudden, mass gunfire between the police and whoever was out in the parking lot,” Rodriguez, of Kingsland, Arkansas, said. He took out his phone and started filming the shooting before he realised he had to flee.

Matt Gill was in the Mad Butcher, working his shift as a butcher, when he heard the pops.

“Everybody was like, ‘What’s that noise?’” Gill said. “I said, ‘Ma’am, that’s shotgun. We got to go.’”

Gill said he led his co-workers out of the back of the store, but a few store clerks got separated as they fled.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on social media platform X that she was briefed on the incident.

“I am thankful to law enforcement and first responders for their quick and heroic action to save lives. My prayers are with the victims and all those impacted by this horrific incident,” Ms Huckabee said.

The White House said in a statement that president Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting and that federal authorities were assisting in the investigation.

There have been several shootings at US stores in recent years. In 2019, a gunman killed 23 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. In 2021, 10 people were killed by a gunman at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. In 2022, a gunman killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York .– Wires

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