On Friday, tragedy struck the small town of Arkabutla, Mississippi, when six people were shot and killed at multiple locations.
Richard Dale Crum, 52, of Arkabutla, has been taken into custody. According to the Tate County Sheriff’s office, Crum has been charged with first-degree murder, additional charges are expected to come.
Sheriff Brad Lance reported that the shooting rampage began at about 11 am at took place at a store and two homes. It started when the suspect opened fire and killed a man outside of a convenience store. The suspect then drove to a nearby house on Bend Road and killed his ex-wife and injured her husband.
A deputy spotted a car matching the suspect’s description in the driveway of the suspect’s home, where the suspect was apprehended.
When authorities arrived at the suspect’s house, they discovered two men who had been fatally shot – one on the road and the other in a car.
Additionally, two more victims were found dead in a house close to the suspect’s house and it is believed that they were related to the suspect, a man, and a woman.
Furthermore, one more person was injured in the shootings but was not taken to the hospital for treatment.
The suspect was apprehended as he tried to leave the scene near his house, and deputies recovered two handguns and a shotgun from his vehicle.
Arkabutla is a small town and had a population of 285 in the 2020 Census.
According to the Tate County Sheriff’s Office, Crum is being held in the Tate County Jail without bond.