Arkansas State Police provide timeline of Fordyce mass shooting
(photo courtesy KATV)
The Arkansas State Police provided a timeline of Friday’s mass shooting at the Fordyce Mad Butcher in a press conference Sunday afternoon.
According to the ASP the first 911 call came in at 11:38 a.m. indicating an active shooter was at Mad Butcher in Fordyce. Officers arrived at the scene three minutes later.
The ASP stated the shooter, 44-year-old Travis Posey of New Edinburg, arrived in the Mad Butcher parking lot in his truck armed with a pistol and 12 gage shotgun. He wore a bandolier with dozens of extra shotgun rounds.
He began shooting in the parking lot before entering the store, where he continued shooting. He targeted both employees and customers of mad Butcher at random.
Nurse Callie Weems was rendering aid to a gunshot victim when she was shot and killed.
He then exited the store when five officers from the Fordyce Police Department and Dallas County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene, engaging them in a firefight.
A firefight lasting just shy of five minutes took place between officers and Posey before Posey was subdued.
The Arkansas State Police state the motive for the shooting is still unclear, and there is no relationship between Posey and any victims.
Prior this incident Posey had a limited to no criminal record.
14 people were shot during the incident, including Posey and two law enforcement officers. Four people were killed by Posey before he was subdued by law enforcement.
Those killed in the shooting were all civilians. They victims are 62-year-old Shirley Taylor, 23-year-old Callie Weems, 50-year-old Roy Sturgis, and 81-year-old Ellen Shrum.
All four victims have been identified by the Arkansas State Police.
Posey is being held at the Ouachita County Detention Center, and is being charged with four counts of capital murder. Additional charges are pending.
ASP Press Release:
On Sunday, June 23, 2024, Arkansas State Police Colonel Mike Hagar briefed the media on the latest developments related to a Fordyce grocery store shooting that occurred Friday, June 21, 2024.
An additional victim from the shooting was identified late Saturday, bringing the total number of people injured from gunfire to 15. People injured from gunfire included 12 civilians, two law enforcement officers and the suspect.
Those killed in the shooting were all civilians.
They were:
Shirley Taylor, 62
Callie Weems, 23
Roy Sturgis, 50
Ellen Shrum, 81
Five female and three male civilians, ranging in age from 20 to 65, survived injuries sustained in the shooting. Five of those individuals remain hospitalized, including a woman who is in critical condition at UAMS in Little Rock. Three of the injured civilians were treated and released from the Dallas County Medical Center on Friday.
Six officers working for the Fordyce Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff's Office were on the scene during the incident. Four additional Fordyce Police officers and an off-duty officer employed by the Stuttgart Police Department arrived on scene after the suspect was taken into custody.
Jacob Murry, 26, an officer who serves both the Fordyce Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, was treated Friday for minor injuries related to gunfire. Fordyce Police Officer James Johnson, 31, was released from a Little Rock hospital Saturday evening after being treated for a gunshot wound.
Stuttgart Police Officer John Hudson, 24, received minor injuries unrelated to gunfire. He rendered medical aid to an injured individual after the incident had concluded. Hudson was previously incorrectly included as an officer with injuries related to gunfire.
Suspect Travis Eugene Posey, 44, of New Edinburg, will be charged with four counts of Capital Murder. Additional charges are pending. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement. Posey was released to ASP custody and transported to the Ouachita County Detention Center, where he remains.
ASP’s Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the shooting.