Suspected gunman who left three dead and 10 hurt at Arkansas supermarket is identified as 44-year-old man
Travis Posey was taken to the Ouachita County Jail and charged with first degree murder following the shocking attack on Friday
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Ten people were injured and three were killed, in a shooting at an Arkansas grocery store on Friday afternoon.
The shooting was reported at the Mad Butcher market in Fordyce, about 70 miles south of Little Rock, around noon, according to local outlets.
Deputies said that a shooter was also “critically injured” after being shot by police and had been taken into custody.
Police later confirmed at a press conference that a total of 14 people had been injured from gunfire.
All three of those who died were civilians, with eight more injured. Two law enforcement officers were also wounded.
Authorities later identified the shooter as 44-year-old Travis Posey. He was taken to the Ouachita County Jail and charged with first degree murder. His motive for the shocking attack remains unknown.
Video online showed a heavy police presence at the local grocery story. Locals later described the incident at the Fordyce supermarket as “a terrible day for our little town”.
“This is a small town and we personally know several people that were very nearby when the shooting took place. It’s just such a horrible thing that happened to people simply trying to grocery shop,” Fordyce resident Charise Ellson wrote on Facebook.
Shot law enforcement officer’s injuries are ‘non-life-threatening'
According to the Arkansas State Police, the injuries of officer wounded in the supermarket shooting were “non-life-threatening.”
“At approximately 11:30 a.m. today, Arkansas State Police (ASP) responded to a shooting incident at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce. A total of nine individuals were shot,” a statement from the force read.
“Seven of the shooting victims were civilians, with two fatalities. One law enforcement officer was also shot and has non-life-threatening injuries.”
Ex-cop recounts kids rushing into his store to escape mass shooting at Arkansas grocery
A retired police officer described a chaotic scene in Fordyce as rapid gunfire rang out through the area.
Ken Van Der Zwalm, who works round the corner from the Mad Butcher supermarket, said he saw people “running everywhere” including little children who were “traumatized” by the incident.
“I was outside and I heard what I thought somebody was throwing stuff in the dumpster,” he told The Independent.
“That’s kind of what it sounded like.”“I said, ‘well, that’s too much stuff going in the dumpster,’ so I got to listening, and it was actually rapid fire from a gun, because it was a deeper sound.
“I listened to it for a while, and then the news started coming out. People were running everywhere, and we had several people that ran to the store that were screaming and crying, and little children traumatized by what was going on.
“So we gave them refuge in the store, as a former police officer, I was armed. I told them that they were safe where were they were.
“We kept the children safe, and waited till their family or somebody come to pick them up.”
Ex-cop: ‘I’ve never experienced fire like that'
Ken Van Der Zwalm told The Independent that, even as a former police officer, he had “never experienced” gunfire like that during the Arkansas grocery store shooting.
“It’s gonna mark those kids that we took in. It’s gonna mark them for life because they were right there,” he said. “They were at the scene.
“It’s gonna affect them for the rest of their lives. They definitely need prayers.”
He added: “I’m a former police officer, and I’ve never experienced fire like that.”
Watch” Multiple gunshots heard during shooting in Arkansas
‘We gave them refuge’: Ex-cop recounts kids rushing into his store to escape mass shooting at Arkansas supermarket
Ken Van Der Zwalm described the chaotic Friday scene and said the youngsters caught up in the shooting would be “marked for life”
The former police officer spoke to The Independent just hours after the deadly attack in Fordyce, Arkansas, occurred.
Read the full story here:
Arkansas grocery store shooting: Ex-cop recalls saving kids at the Fordyce scene
Ken Van Der Zwalm described the chaotic Friday scene and said the youngsters caught up in the shooting would be “marked for life”
Suspect in Arkansas shooting identified
The suspect in the Arkansas supermarket shooting that left three people dead has been identified by authorities as 44-year-old Travis Posey.
Posey was booked into the Ouachita County Jail and charged with first degree murder, according to jail records.
Buffalo dedicates park-like space to victims on second anniversary of racist mass shooting
Friday’s attack on an Arkansas supermarket comes shortly after the two-year anniversary of a similar incident in Buffalo, New York.
On May 14 the city marked anniversary of the racist mass shooting, in which 10 Black people were killed, with the dedication of a memorial space honoring the victims.
Read the story here:
Buffalo dedicates park-like space to victims on second anniversary of racist mass shooting
Buffalo is marking the second anniversary of a racist mass shooting that killed 10 Black people with the dedication of a memorial space honoring the victims
Arkansas Governor praises ‘heroic action’ of law enforcement
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement saying she had been briefed on the “tragic shooting.”
“I’m in constant contact with State Police at the scene,” Huckabee said.
“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.”
Witness describes bullets hitting his car: ‘I’m just mad'
Army veteran Ronald Clayton described the moment that he realized bullets were hitting his car as he pulled into the Mad Butcher grocery store on Friday.
Clayton told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that he and his wife were pulling into the parking lot of the grocery store when he though he heard something hitting his car’s windshield.
“I thought there was kids in them trees throwing rocks,” Clayton told the Gazette.
After realizing the sounds were from bullets, he pushed his wife to the floor of the vehicle and sped away from the scene. Clayton said he saw a person he thought was a deputy standing in front of the store with a rifle as he left the area.
“My wife ain’t doing too good, I’m just mad,” he said.
He counted 21 bullet strikes on the front passenger side of his car including one punctured his right tire. Marks where bullets cracked the windshield glass and skimmed off were visible, as were places where bullets failed to penetrate the metal body panel.
“I ain’t seen this since I was in the military,” Clayton said.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.