3 Dead in Arkansas Shooting, Suspect Arrested

Facts

• Travis Eugene Posey, aged 44, has been identified by Arkansas State Police (ASP) as the suspected perpetrator of a shooting at a Fordyce city grocery store, which left three killed and 11 injured.¹
• According to law enforcement, the shooting occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Friday at the Mad Butcher grocery store.²
• The suspect was injured after being shot by police and has since been taken into custody, according to the ASP.³
• Police say that they will charge Posey, a resident of the neighboring town of New Edinburg, with three counts of capital murder, with other charges likely to be filed later.³
• The 11 injuries range from “not life-threatening” to “extremely critical,” according to Colonel Mike Hagar, director of Arkansas State Police.⁴
• Two of the injured individuals were law enforcement officers who shot at the suspect, although Hagar indicated that they are expected to recover.⁴

Sources: ¹Arkansas Department of Public Safety, ²New York Times, ³CNN and ⁴Sky News.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by The Enquirer. This kind of recurrent gun violence is a uniquely American epidemic. How many innocent victims must die before gun laws are reformed? The US has more guns than any other country — essentially one gun for every citizen — and one of the highest gun-related death rates. This madness needs to stop with better regulation, including limiting who has access and the types of weapons they own.
• Right narrative, as provided by The National Interest. Guns don't kill people; people kill people. This is why there must be a focus on addressing mental health, enforcing existing laws, and addressing cultural violence. Not only is a ban on guns simply not practical, as there are over 400M guns in private hands, but it would ultimately leave criminals armed while punishing law-abiding citizens.

Predictions