US: Shootings in small Mississippi town leave 6 dead

A gunman killed six people in a small rural town in the southern US state of Mississippi on Friday, local officials said.

A suspect has been taken into custody and charged with first degree murder. 

Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bailey Martin confirmed the killings in Arkabutla, in Tate County, to AP news agency.

What do we know so far?

The shootings all occurred in Arkabutla, a town consisting of fewer than 300 people which is situated some 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Memphis, Tennessee.

Among the victims were a man fatally shot in the driver's seat near a store and a woman, identified as the suspect's ex wife, who was killed inside a home. 

Her current husband has been wounded. 

Deputies found bodies of four more people near the suspect's home. Of the four, one was the body of the suspect's stepfather and another was the stepfather's sister. 

The two other bodies were those of handymen who were working on the site. 

Tate County sheriff: 'This is shocking'

The suspect was tracked and arrested without a struggle, said Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance. He added that a shotgun and two handguns were recovered from the suspect. 

"We don't have a lot of violent crime here. This is shocking," he said.  

Governor Tate Reeves' office said he had been briefed on the shootings and a male suspect was in custody.

While investigators are yet to ascertain a motive, officials said they would start by examining the suspect's relationship with his ex-wife. 

Ethan Cash, who witnessed the shooting near the store, told Reuters news agency that he pulled out his pistol and considered firing at the suspect, but held his fire. 

"I didn't know who exactly it was and I didn't want to hurt anybody, so I kind of let the officers do that. It's their job, anyways," Cash said. 

President Biden condemns the shooting

President Joe Biden condemned the shooting and urged Congress to enact gun control. 

This would include background checks, an assault weapons ban and requiring safe storage of guns. 

"Jill and I are mourning for the six killed in today's violence in Tate County, Mississippi — as we have for far too many Americans," said Biden

According to an Associated Press database, the Mississippi shooting is the first mass killing in the US since January 23. 

January saw six mass killings in a three-week period. The database defined "mass killing" as four or more dead, not including the perpetrator. 

ns, jsi/wd (AP, Reuters)