Richard Dale Crum, Arkabulta, Mississippi man goes on mass shooting spree, killing six, including ex wife in 3 locations. Victims thought to be known or related to gunman. History of ongoing mental illness.
A man thought to be responsible for going on a shooting rampage in a rural Mississippi town leading to the deaths of six individuals, including his ex wife and stepfather has been arrested.
Richard Dale Crum, 52, was charged with first degree murder in connection to the killing spree which took place Friday just after midday at three different locations, including a store and three homes in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance told WREG-TV.
It remains unclear what led up the mass shootings in the tiny town near Memphis, Tennessee, of 285 people in which residents say ‘everyone knows everyone.’
‘We are in the very early stages of the investigation so we can only release a limited amount of information. What we do want the community to know is that the suspect is in custody,’ the Tate County Sheriff’s office posted to Facebook.
The statement, since removed from FB, went on to say that there were more charges pending further investigation.
‘Mentally ill his whole life’
A person close to the gunman, Richard Crum, told the nypost that the killer ‘has been mentally ill his whole life.’
The individual, who requested anonymity and did not specify the shooter’s condition, said Crum was on disability and had been taking medication to keep his disorder under control.
‘He just finally snapped,’ the source said, adding, ‘Mental illness is a serious thing.’
Sheriff Brad Lance said authorities believe Crumb who was armed with a shotgun and two handguns ‘went into a store and shot a man, then went to a house nearby on Bend Road and fatally shot a woman.’
Speaking to actionnews5.com the husband of the female victim said that he and his wife had just come home from the doctors.
‘He busted into the house through the front door and I wrestled with him and I lost as you can see, but my wife lost more,’ he said. ‘I didn’t recognize him, it’s a small community, everybody knows everybody, I know who he is now,’ the husband added.
Reports told of some of the victims being related or known to the shooter, including Crum’s ex-wife and stepfather. It remained unclear how the former spouse and stepfather came to be targeted.
A gunman went on a shooting rampage in Arkabutla, Mississippi. Richard Dale Crum, 51, was charged with first-degree murder, Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance said https://t.co/X7wlzE5lfy pic.twitter.com/1Hc9ufsITk
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 18, 2023
Arkabutla a place where no one is a stranger
Ernie Lentz, a deputy coroner in Tate County, identified the six deceased individuals as: Chris Boyce, 59, Debra Crum, 60, John Rorie, 59, Charles Manuel, 76, George McCain, 73 and Lynda McCain, 78.
Crum was arrested after a chase ended in the driveway of a home where two more people were found deceased, one in a vehicle and the other in the road, WREG reported.
Crum was booked into the Tate County Jail in Senatobia, Mississippi, at 3.28 pm on Friday, close to three hours after the killing spree took place.
Local resident, April Wade described Arkabutla as a place where no one is a stranger.
‘But if you don’t [know somebody], you know somebody who knows somebody.
‘I think it’s crazy,’ Wade told ABC 24. ‘You do not expect something like that to happen so close to home.’
Authorities said they are currently unaware of the motive behind the shooting or if those killed were known to each other.