Six people were shot to death Friday in a small town in the rural US state of Mississippi, near Tennessee, local authorities said, adding that the suspect had been arrested.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Bailey Martin confirmed the deaths in Arkabutla, Tate County, in statements to the Associated Press (AP) agency.
Gov. Tate Reeves’ office said the person responsible had been informed of the shooting and a suspect was in custody.
“At this time, we believe that he acted alone,” Reeves said in a statement, adding that the motive for the shooting “is not yet known.”
Tate County Sheriff’s Office Shannon Brewer also confirmed a suspect was in custody.
A nearby elementary school and middle school were closed while the suspect was searched, according to the Coldwater Elementary School Facebook page.
Shortly after, in a second post, the schools announced that the lockdown had been lifted and that “all students and staff were safe.”
This shooting in Mississippi is the first mass murder in the US since Jan. 23, the latest of six in a three-week period, according to an Associated Press/USA Today database, which defines a murder in mass as four or more people dead. , not including the shooter.
Arkabutla is about 50 kilometers south of Memphis, Tennessee, and is home to 285 residents, according to the latest census. The nearby Lake Arkabutla is a popular fishing and recreation destination.
Source: TSF
