2023 Arkabutla shootings
On February 17, 2023, a spree shooting occurred in Arkabutla, Mississippi, United States. Six people were killed, and a seventh was injured. The suspect, 52-year-old Richard Dale Crum, was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder.[2]
| 2023 Arkabutla shootings | |
|---|---|
  Arkabutla Arkabutla (Mississippi)  Arkabutla Arkabutla (the United States) | |
| Location | Arkabutla in Tate County, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 34.698889°N 90.122222°W |
| Date | February 17, 2023 ≈Tooltip Approximation 11:00 a.m. (CST) |
Attack type | Spree shooting |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 6 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Motive | Under investigation |
| Accused | Richard Dale Crum |
Shootings
At approximately 11:00 a.m. on February 17, 2023, the perpetrator pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store called Express mart Gas station and shot into the car adjacent to him, killing a man. The victim had no connection to the attacker. There was also another person in the vehicle, but that individual was left unharmed.[3] The suspect then drove to the house of his ex-wife, and shot her to death. He also struck her fiancé with a gun but did not shoot him. The shooter proceeded to drive to the residence behind the house, where he fatally shot his stepfather and stepfather’s sister. After, the perpetrator fatally shot two men on a road behind Crum's house. The two victims were identified as his stepfather’s cousin and also a family friend there to help repair the roof.[4]
A sheriff's deputy saw a car matching the description of the suspect's car. After attempting to pull over the car failed, the deputy followed the vehicle until it stopped in a driveway of the suspect's home. There, the deputy arrested Crum as he attempted to leave the scene on foot.[5]
Victims
Six people were killed, three of whom had a connection to the accused.[6]
They were identified as:[4]
- Chris Boyce, 59
- Debra Crum, 60
- Charles Manuel, 76
- George McCain, 73
- Lynda McCain, 78
- John Rorie, 59
Suspect
The suspect was identified as 52-year-old former Illinois resident Richard Dale Crum (born January 1970), who was a resident of neighboring Coldwater at the time of the killings.[7] Crum was born and raised in Rock Falls, Illinois, and lived in various other towns in the state throughout parts of his life. A family friend told CBS News that Crum had a history of mental illness.[8]
References
- Oates, Zaria (February 17, 2023). "New details emerge after shooting rampage left 6 dead in rural Mississippi town". Local Memphis. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- Habeshian, Sareen (February 18, 2023). "6 dead in Mississippi town shooting, suspect arrested". Axios. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- Alonso, Hannah Sarisohn,Melissa (February 17, 2023). "Man arrested after 6 killed, including suspect's ex-wife, in series of shootings in Mississippi, sheriff says". CNN. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Medina, Eduardo; Oxenden, McKenna (February 17, 2023). "Man Kills 6, Including Ex-Wife, in Rampage in Mississippi, Officials Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- Our foreign staff (February 17, 2023). "Six people shot dead in rural Mississippi town". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- Cabral, Sam (February 17, 2023). "Mississippi mass shooting: Man kills ex-wife and five others". BBC News. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- Donlevy, Katherine (February 17, 2023). "52-year-old gunman kills six in a bloody rampage across Northern Mississippi town". New York Post. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- "Richard Crum's friend told CBS News that he had a history of mental illness and problems". WTVR-TV. February 19, 2023. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.