Arkansas shooting: Fourth person dies after bystanders caught in gunfire outside grocery store in Fordyce

Arkansas state police said the person died on Saturday evening, adding “11 civilians, two law enforcement officers and the suspect” were hit by gunfire. As previously reported by NationalWorld, the shooting took place at around 11.30am local time on Friday at the Mad Butcher grocery shop in Fordyce, Arkansas, which is about 65 miles south of state capital Little Rock.

Those who died were identified as Shirley Taylor, 62, Callie Weems, 23, Roy Sturgis, 50, and Ellen Shrum, 81, all of whom were civilians. The injured range in age between 20 and 65, police said. Four remain in hospital, including a woman in a critical condition. Also injured were Fordyce police officer James Johnson, 31, who was released from hospital on Saturday evening, and Stuttgart police officer John Hudson, 24, whose injuries were said to be minor.

Police said the suspect is Travis Eugene Posey, 44, of New Edinburg, and he will be charged with four counts of capital murder.

“He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement” and was then released to police custody and taken to the Ouachita County Detention Centre, police said in the statement.

Roderick Rogers, a member of the city council, said he called the sheriff when employees at his restaurant nearby notified him of the shooting. When he got there, he saw people running for cover in every direction, even one running to the hospital nearby. “People were just jumping into cars to get to safety,” Mr Rogers said.

Video posted on social media showed at least one person lying in a car park, while another captured multiple gunshots ringing out. Images from reporters on the scene showed a slew of bullet holes in the shop’s window, and spent shell casings strewn throughout the car park.