Mississippi Shooting: 6 Killed, Including 7-Year-Old Child And Pastor, In Gun Rampage

Mississippi: A deadly shooting ripped through the quiet rural location of Cedarbluff in northeast Mississippi on Friday night, leaving at least 6 people dead, including a 7-year-old child and a local pastor. According to reports, the accused, who has been detained by law enforcement agencies, went on a fatal gun rampage at various locations, leading to the mass killing. As per reports, no other injuries have been reported during the shooting. 

The police have identified the detained suspect as a 24-year-old, Daricka M Moore, who was arrested at a police roadblock just before midnight and is being held without bail at the Clay County jail in West Point.

During the preliminary inquiry, the victims, all of whom were related to Moore or known to him, were gilled at three separate locations in Cedarbluff, a community of fields, woods, and modest homes about 125 miles northeast of Jackson. The motive behind the deadly attack remains unclear, as the investigating teams are interrogating the suspect to ascertain the cause behind the mass killing at night. 

Suspect Killed Family And Relatives

Describing the shooting incident as “how violent it was”, Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott stated that Moore allegedly targeted family members and acquaintances, including a 7-year-old cousin who was shot in the head.

As per the police official, the victims include Moore's father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore, his brother, 33-year-old Quinton Moore, and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines, who were killed at the family's mobile home. Moore then allegedly drove to a cousin's house, where he attempted to commit sexual battery and fatally shot the 7-year-old girl.

The pastor of the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus, Rev. Barry Bradley, and his brother, Samuel Bradley, were also killed in the attack. The Bradley brothers lived in nearby Columbus but spent weekends on church grounds, where some Moore family members attend.

Sheriff Scott said evidence and witnesses indicated that Moore was the only shooter and no other injuries have been reported. Moore is being held on murder charges, with District Attorney Scott Colom saying he expected to pursue the death penalty. "I don't know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old," Sheriff Scott said. He added, "A situation like this, you've got a family member attacking their own family. Whatever the reason is, we're hoping that we'll find out."

A panic-like situation emerged in the West Point area, with residents struggling to come to terms with the violence. "This has really shaken our community," Sheriff Scott said.

Colom, a Democrat seeking his party's nomination to run against Republican US Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith, said he is confident that his office has the resources to prosecute Moore. "Six people, one night, several different scenes, it's about as bad as it gets," he said.

Further details regarding the deadly shooting are awaited.