A gunman opened fire on a AirKansas Grocery Fridaykilling at least three and injuring several others, authorities said.
The deadly incident occurred shortly before 11:40 a.m. CT at the Mad Butcher in Fordyce, a small town about 70 miles south of Little Rock, State Police Director Mike Hagar said at a late afternoon news conference.
Eleven people were injured, including three who died, the leader of the Arkansas State Police said. Two police officers were also injured, but their injuries were not life-threatening.
Some of the eight surviving civilians were in “extremely critical” condition, Hagar said.
The shooter, treated in custody for non-life-threatening injuries after an exchange of gunfire with police officers, was identified Friday night as Travis Eugene Posey, 44, of New Edinburg, a community about 11 miles east of Fordyce.
“It’s tragic,” said the state police director, “Our hearts are broken.”
Hagar, also the state secretary of Public Security, said it was too early to determine what motivated the suspect. The Arkansas State Police are leading the investigation, he added.
Following his release from medical care, Posey was booked Friday night into the Ouachita County Detention Center on an allegation of first-degree murder, according to inmate records.
State police said he will likely face three counts of capital murder once charges are formally filed. He said further charges were also likely.
It was unclear whether he had retained an attorney, and the public defender’s office in Dallas County, Arkansas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meat cutter Matt Gill was at the back of the store when he heard gunshots and breaking glass.
“He came in and started shooting,” Gill said. “We managed to get out through the back door. I had to go there, I have a wife and children at home.”
The shooting appeared to have started in the parking lot when sisters Amiya and Ashiya Doherty were in the back of the family’s SUV, where they said they were almost hit.
“He shot at my mother’s car and hit the tire and pssshshsh,” said Amiya, imitating the sound of escaping air.
The windows of the cars around them were shot out, but the sisters’ SUV only had tire damage. Amiya said she grabbed her sister Ashiya and pulled her down to avoid being hit.
“It was like a movie,” said Ashiya, who was also unharmed.
The violence surprised Roderick Rogers, a Fordyce native and pastor of Grace United Church.
“I saw people lying in the parking lot,” he said. “There were gunshots going off everywhere.”
Video this was verified by NBC News but does not show what happened earlier, showing a man in a parking lot firing a long gun, some shots appeared to be aimed at vehicles and the guns were lowered as he reloaded.
“Look at him,” a woman is heard saying in the video that appears to have been filmed from across U.S. Highway 79, the road in front of the store.
“They went to the Mad Butcher shootout…” she said.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised officials for their immediate response.
“I am grateful to authorities and first responders for their quick and heroic action to save lives,” she said. said in a statement.
Fordyce is a city with a population of 3,396 and a median household income of $35,116, which is less than half the national median of $74,580, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The attack in Arkansas follows a mass shooting in Oakland, California, on Wednesday. when 15 people were injured during the Juneteenth events near Lake Merritt, authorities said.
Also on Wednesday, seven people were injured after a Philadelphia shootingauthorities said.
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