6 dead in Arkabutla, MS shootings; suspect identified

ARKABUTLA, Miss. (WREG) — Six people were shot and killed at four different locations in the small town of Arkabutla, Mississippi on Friday, the Tate County sheriff said.

Authorities identified the suspect in custody as Richard Dale Crum. He has been charged with first-degree murder, and the sheriff says additional charges are expected.

According to Sheriff Brad Lance, the shooter went into a store and shot a man, then went to a house nearby on Bend Road and shot a woman.

Lance said the suspect also went to a home on Arkabutla Dam Road and shot and killed two people there.

A deputy saw a car that fit the suspect’s car description and tried to stop him. The driver did not stop, and a chase ensued.

Officials say the alleged shooter pulled into a driveway of a home, and was apprehended there. At the house, officers found a person dead in a car and another dead in the roadway.

It is believed that the shooter lived at the Arkabutla Dam Road location, Lance said.

Ethan Cash witnessed one of the shootings, which started at a convenience store on Arkabutla Road, not far from where he lives.

“I heard the gunshot from inside my house,” Cash said. “I had just woken up and I look back here, and I see dude walking back here with a shotgun.”

The shootings forced local schools into lockdown. As some sought shelter, Cash says he ran to the gas station moments after one of the shootings.

“I go up to a truck where a guy got shot at, and I check his pulse and make sure he’s okay — he’s already gone at this point,” Cash said. “I had a moment where I could have saved someone’s life and I missed it, man.”

Arkabutla, located about 45 miles south of Memphis, Tenn., had a population of 285 in the 2020 Census. Friday’s tragedy left residents in the town shaken.

“This is supposed to be a peaceful place, and I don’t understand,” Cash said.