The shooting at a grocery store in Arkansas last Friday was a senseless and random attack, according to Arkansas State Police Col. Mike Hagar. The police haven’t figured out why it happened yet. The attack took place at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce. Four people died, and ten others were injured. The police haven’t found any connection between the shooter, Travis Eugene Posey, and the victims or the store.
The victims who lost their lives were Callie Weems (23 years old), Roy Sturgis (50 years old), Shirley Taylor (62 years old), and Ellen Shrum (81 years old). Posey, the suspect, was shot by officers at the scene but survived.
Posey started shooting as soon as he got out of his car in the parking lot, then continued inside the store. Hagar said Posey targeted people randomly.
Posey doesn’t have much of a criminal record, if any. He’s facing three capital murder charges and is in custody at the Ouachita County Detention Center. He could get the death penalty.
One victim, Callie Weems, was a nurse. She died while trying to help another victim. Hagar praised the police officers who responded to the shooting, saying they stopped the suspect within five minutes. He called their actions heroic.