A seven-year-old girl was among the six people killed by a deranged shooter who rampaged through a town in northeastern Mississippi on Friday evening, according to authorities.
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott confirmed in a press conference Saturday afternoon that the suspected shooter, Daricka M. Moore, 24, systematically attacked three different homes in the town of West Point.
‘This is really, really shaking our community. And for me, in my almost 30 years, this is one of the toughest ones we’ve had to work,’ Scott said.
The first shooting took place at a home on David Hill Road, where three people were killed, Scott said.
The next occurred at a residence on Blake Road, where Moore allegedly attempted to commit a sexual battery. It was at this home that deputies would later find the dead body of the seven-year-old girl, who had a gunshot wound to the head.
The girl was shot in front of other witnesses, Scott said. It’s not clear who those witnesses were.
After this, Moore is said to have fled the scene in a stolen pickup truck to a home on Siloam-Griffith Road.
There, police found two men dead with gunshot wounds to their heads. They were identified as Barry Bradley and Samuel Bradley.
Daricka M. Moore, 24, allegedly shot six people at three different homes in West Point, Mississippi, on Friday evening
The home where the seven-year-old girl was found shot in the head
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said during a press conference on Saturday afternoon that this case was one of the worst he’s had to deal with in his 30 years on the force
Moore was later arrested without incident while driving the stolen truck.
He was taken into custody by a massive coalition of law enforcement agencies, including the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the US Park Service and the US Marshals.
Moore was booked into the Clay County jail at 3.25am on Saturday on a charge of first degree murder.
‘I will say at this point, we do not know a motive for these acts. We are continuing work with all our partners to complete a full and thorough investigation. Again, this is ongoing and information is subject to change,’ Scott said.
Also at the press conference was Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom, who vowed to pursue a capital murder case against Moore. He also said there will likely be multiple counts of first degree murder.
‘This is the type of case where the death penalty is going to have to be really looked at,’ Colom said.
‘We have to continue the investigation. You have to go through with mitigation experts.
‘There’s going to be mental evaluations done, but after all that is all said and done, if he’s eligible for the death penalty, the district attorney’s office is going to go for the death penalty.’
‘There’s some cases that they’ve got to get the worst punishment. Six people, one night, several different scenes. You’ve heard the allegations. They’re about as bad as it gets,’ he added.
Moore’s first court date is scheduled for January 12, Scott said.
