The members of the small-town community of Fordyce, Arkansas, continue to mourn loved one’s lost following a brutal mass shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store late last week.
The suspect, 44-year-old Travis Eugene Posey, armed to the teeth with a pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a bandolier loaded with shotgun shells, went on a violent rampage, killing four and wounding 14 others in a matter of minutes.
According to CNN, victims of the heinous crime range in age from 23 to 81. Witnesses at the scene of the shooting described how the chaotic incident unfolded as Posey emerged from his pick-up truck and relentlessly fired at patrons in the parking lot and in the grocery store.
“He was like a man possessed,” one bystander told the outlet. “He just kept shooting and shooting.”
Arkansas Secretary of Public Safety Mike Hagar said the massacre began at approximately 11:30 a.m. locThough law enforcement was on the scene within three minutes of the first shot, Hagar says it was already too late for many.
“Posey immediately began engaging victims in the parking lot after exiting his truck and then proceeded into the store,” Hagar said in part. “Once inside the grocery store, the suspect was firing indiscriminately at both customers and employees.”
He continued, “When law enforcement arrived on scene, the suspect exited the store, and the officers redirected his attention towards them. He immediately engaged in a firefight with law enforcement, where they were able to stop the threat.”
While detailing the tragedy in an official statement to the public, Hagar confirmed authorities discovered that the majority of the shots fired are presumed to have come from one weapon in particular.
“We believe that most, if not all the rounds fired by the suspect were from the shotgun,” Hagar said.
Posey was subdued by officers and later taken to the Ouachita County Detention Center with non-life-threatening injuries. He is expected to face multiple charges, including four counts of capital murder, with more charges likely to follow. His court appearance is set for June 25.
This gruesome attack is part of a terrifying trend of mass shootings that has gripped the United States in recent months. The Gun Violence Archive reports at least 14 mass shootings in June alone. Among these tragedies, a horrific shooting spree in Ohio left 10 people wounded, including two minors. In total, 247 mass shootings have already occurred this year.
Watch the report above for additional details.
