WEST POINT, Miss. (AP) — A 24-year-old Mississippi man killed six people — his father, brother, uncle, a 7-year-old cousin, a church pastor, and the pastor’s brother — at three locations during a shooting rampage on a Friday night, authorities have reported.
Daricka M. Moore was arrested at a police roadblock in Cedarbluff just before midnight, following a swift response from dozens of local, state, and federal officers in the northeast Mississippi region. Currently held without bail at the Clay County jail in West Point, Moore faces murder charges and is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Monday.
Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom has indicated that he anticipates pursuing the death penalty against Moore. If charges are elevated to capital murder, he would be ineligible for bail per state law. Moore’s only associates during the incidents were the victims; there have been no additional injuries reported in the violence.
Sheriff Eddie Scott stated there is ample evidence and witness testimony to confirm Moore was the sole shooter, though the motivation behind his actions remains unknown.
The shootings occurred in a rural area filled with fields and modest homes, approximately 125 miles northeast of Jackson. Initial reports insight into a tragic family connection to the crime, with the killings beginning at the Moore family’s mobile home, where he allegedly murdered his father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore, his brother, 33-year-old Quinton Moore, and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines.
Investigators indicated that after the violence at his home, Moore drove to his cousin's house, forced entry, and fatally shot a 7-year-old girl. He then made his way to the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus, breaking in to kill the pastor, Rev. Barry Bradley, and his brother, Samuel Bradley, before stealing a vehicle.
Colom, who has a vested interest in the case due to his upcoming electoral campaign against Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith, stated that the gruesome details have deeply affected the community. 'Six people, one night, several different scenes, it’s about as bad as it gets,' he noted. Investigations into the weapons used in the crime and the circumstances surrounding them are ongoing as the community grapples with the aftermath.
Daricka M. Moore was arrested at a police roadblock in Cedarbluff just before midnight, following a swift response from dozens of local, state, and federal officers in the northeast Mississippi region. Currently held without bail at the Clay County jail in West Point, Moore faces murder charges and is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Monday.
Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom has indicated that he anticipates pursuing the death penalty against Moore. If charges are elevated to capital murder, he would be ineligible for bail per state law. Moore’s only associates during the incidents were the victims; there have been no additional injuries reported in the violence.
Sheriff Eddie Scott stated there is ample evidence and witness testimony to confirm Moore was the sole shooter, though the motivation behind his actions remains unknown.
The shootings occurred in a rural area filled with fields and modest homes, approximately 125 miles northeast of Jackson. Initial reports insight into a tragic family connection to the crime, with the killings beginning at the Moore family’s mobile home, where he allegedly murdered his father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore, his brother, 33-year-old Quinton Moore, and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines.
Investigators indicated that after the violence at his home, Moore drove to his cousin's house, forced entry, and fatally shot a 7-year-old girl. He then made his way to the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus, breaking in to kill the pastor, Rev. Barry Bradley, and his brother, Samuel Bradley, before stealing a vehicle.
Colom, who has a vested interest in the case due to his upcoming electoral campaign against Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith, stated that the gruesome details have deeply affected the community. 'Six people, one night, several different scenes, it’s about as bad as it gets,' he noted. Investigations into the weapons used in the crime and the circumstances surrounding them are ongoing as the community grapples with the aftermath.
