The man accused of opening fire at a grocery store in southern Arkansas, fatally striking three people and wounding 11 others, has been identified.
Travis Eugene Posey, a 44-year-old from New Edinburg, is facing three counts of capital murder in connection with the shooting on Friday at the Mad Butcher, according to a press release from Arkansas State Police. Authorities also noted that additional charges are pending.
Colin Murphey/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP
Damage can be seen to a front window law enforcement officers work the scene of a shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce, Ark., Friday, June 21, 2024.
The gunfire broke out at the store in Fordyce, a small town about 70 miles south of Little Rock, just before 11:40 a.m. local time, state police director Mike Hagar said during a news conference.
Video from the scene, verified by NBC News, shows a man firing a long gun in the parking lot outside the store, with some of the rounds seemingly directed at vehicles.
“Unfortunately, we can confirm that 11 innocent civilians were shot, and three of those are deceased,” Hagar told reporters.
Two police officers also suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a shootout with the suspect. The conditions of the rest of the victims ranged from “not life-threatening to extremely critical,” Hagar said.
“The suspect was also shot and taken into custody,” he added.
Posey was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then booked Friday evening at Ouachita County Detention Center.
None of the victims have been identified and few other details have been provided.
Hagar told reporters it’s still too early in the investigation to determine Posey’s motive. What exactly occurred in the moments leading up to the gunfire were also unclear.
Colin Murphey/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP
Law enforcement officers work the scene of a shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce, Ark., Friday, June 21, 2024.
In wake of the shooting, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised law enforcement for their speedy response, hailing them as heroes.
“I am thankful to law enforcement and first responders for their quick and heroic action to save lives,” she said on X. “My prayers are with the victims and all those impacted by this horrific incident.”
The deadly violence in Arkansas came on the heels of a mass shooting in Oakland, Calif., where 15 people were wounded during a Juneteenth event near Lake Merritt. Another seven people were shot in a separate incident in Philadelphia on Wednesday.