Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders orders flags to fly at half staff for Fordyce mass shooting victims
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has ordered all flags to be flown at half staff in memory of those killed in Friday’s mass shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce.
Flags will fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, June 28, 2024.
15 people were shot in the shooting, with four being killed during the incident. Two law enforcement officers and the suspect were three of the 15 that were shot or injured.
Those killed in the shooting include 62-year-old Shirley Taylor, 23-year-old Callie Weems, 50-year-old Roy Sturgis, and 81-year-old Ellen Shrum.
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.
44-year-old Travis Posey 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.
Posey is expected to have his first judiciary appearance this morning at the Ouachita County Courthouse.