3 Dead, Multiple Others Shot at Arkansas Grocery Store, Police Say

Arkansas State Police say the suspect is now in custody and that there are no "active threats to the community"

A shooting at an Arkansas grocery store left three people dead and injured several others, including two responding police officers, on Friday, June 21.

A news release from the Arkansas State Police (ASP) said authorities responded to a shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce, Ark., just south of Little Rock.

The shooter, who was shot by an officer and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, is now in custody, Mike Hagar, Secretary of Public Safety and Director of ASP, said during a news briefing shortly after the shooting.

"This situation is secure and contained," Hagar said, adding, "There are no active threats to the community."

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After being alerted to shots fired at the grocery store, officers "responded immediately in the exchange of gunfire with a lone suspect," Hagar said.

Eleven "innocent civilians" had been shot, and three have died, Hagar said. He added that two officers were injured during an "exchange of gunfire." The officers' and suspect's injuries are not life-threatening, said Hagar. The civilians' injuries range from non-life-threatening to "severely critical," he added.

The investigation is ongoing and being led by the Arkansas State Police. On Friday evening, authorities identified the suspect as Travis Eugene Posey, 44, of New Edinburg, a community 10 miles southeast of Fordyce, per a news release.

According to local news outlset KATV, Fordyce City Counselor Roderick Rogers called 911.

"This is a very devastating day for us," Rogers told KATV. "Never in a million years would we think something like this would happen. It's a lot of families involved that's affected, so just continue to pray for them."

Sisters Amiya and Ashia Doherty, also witnessed the shooting, told KATV, "I was really scared like I will never think that will happen in Fordyce. That's real scary and I pray for the man to you know because something has triggered him but yeah, I'm just glad I'm okay and my family okay, but I do want to pray for the ones who got hurt."

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Another witness, David Rodriguez, who filmed the scene, told local outlet 5NewsOnline that he thought he heard fireworks. When he saw people running from the grocery store, he started recording with his phone.

"The police started to show up," Rodriguez told the outlet. "Then there was massive gunfire and ambulances pulling up... the bullets were just flying."

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Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders reacted to the shooting on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote,

"I have been briefed on the tragic shooting in Fordyce, and I’m in constant contact with State Police at the scene," Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

"I am thankful to law enforcement and first responders for their quick and heroic action to save lives," she continued. "My prayers are with the victims and all those impacted by this horrific incident."

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