Two people are dead and eight others including a cop are wounded after a shooting broke out at a grocery store in south Arkansas.
Gunfire erupted outside the Mad Butcher in Fordyce around noon on Friday, reported the Southeast Arkansas Times.
The suspect was shot by police and critically injured, said Arkansas State Police.
A law enforcement officer was among victims shot and did not have life-threatening injuries.
A video shared on social media showed at least one victim lying in the parking lot. Another clip captured several gunshot sounds.
David Rodriguez, 58, was at a gas station to fill up his vehicle when he heard what sounded like fireworks.
‘We heard a few little pops,’ he said.
‘The police started to show up, and then there was massive gunfire and ambulances pulling up. The bullets were just flying.’
Rodriguez observed a person lying on the ground and others running from the store into the car park, and began video recording with his phone until the shooting intensified.
Photos from the scene showed numerous bullet holes through the window of the grocery store.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she has been briefed on the mass shooting and in ‘constant contact’ with state police.
‘I am thankful to law enforcement and first responders for their quick and heroic action to save lives,’ she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). ‘My prayers are with the victims and all those impacted by this.’
Authorities planned to hold a press conference late afternoon Friday.
Fordyce has a population of about 3,200 and is about 65 miles south of Little Rock.
It is the latest massacre at a grocery store. In May 2022, a white supremacist shot dead 10 black people at a Tops Friendly Markets supermarket in Buffalo, New York. And in March 2021, a gunman shot dead 10 people including a cop at King Soopers store in Boulder, Colorado.
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Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
