Arkansas
Three dead, 11 injured in mass shooting at south Arkansas grocery • Arkansas Advocate
A Friday morning shooting at a Fordyce, Arkansas, grocery store left three people dead and 11 wounded, including the suspect and two law enforcement officers, according to Arkansas State Police.
The suspect and the law enforcement officers are not considered to have life-threatening injuries, ASP Director Mike Hagar said at an afternoon press conference near the scene of the shooting.
The condition of the remaining victims range from non-life-threatening to “extremely critical,” Hagar said.
State Police later identified the suspected shooter as Travis “Joey” Posey. A booking record on the Ouachita County Sheriff’s jail website shows Travis Posey, 44, as being held for another county. Posey is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, according to inmate search site VINELink. ASP later confirmed that information in a press release.
A LinkedIn page lists Posey as the owner of Posey Tree Service in Kingsland in Cleveland County.
The shooting occurred about 11:30 a.m. at the Mad Butcher, part of a regional grocery chain, located at 920 W. 4th Street in a small shopping center. Fordyce (population 3,238 in 2022) is about an hour’s drive south of Little Rock in Dallas County.
Hagar did not release the identities of any of the dead or wounded nor of the shooter at the his 4 p.m. press conference, but said there was no continued threat to the community.
“It’s tragic, our hearts are broken,” he said.
KARK 4 News reporter Caitrin Assaf said she spoke to the parents of one of the victims who died. They told her their 23-year-old daughter, a nurse, was off work on Friday and likely was shopping when she was shot.
A video posted on Facebook by Casey D. Rodriguez from the vantage of a nearby gas station convenience store shows a person lying on the ground behind a vehicle; 11 shots can be heard along with sirens. Other online video and photos show storefront windows with dozens of bullet holes.
Another video shot from inside a store on X posted by user @LRHNcash shows a man with a long gun shooting methodically in different directions.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette interviewed Ronald Clayton, who said he and his wife were pulling into the Mad Butcher parking lot when something hit the windshield of his Nissan Sentra. He thought at first that it was a rock, then realized it as bullets, he told the newspaper. A photo accompanying the report show a car with about a dozen bullet holes in the right front fender and door.
In a post on X early Friday afternoon, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she was thankful for the “heroic actions” of law enforcement and other first responders and said her prayers were with the victims.
I have been briefed on the tragic shooting in Fordyce, and I’m in constant contact with State Police at the scene. I am thankful to law enforcement and first responders for their quick and heroic action to save lives. My prayers are with the victims and all those impacted by this…
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) June 21, 2024
Data on the Gun Violence Archive shows Friday’s mass shooting was the second this month in Arkansas and the sixth this year. A mass shooting, per the site, is one with a minimum of four victims, either wounded or killed, and excluding the shooter or shooters.
Anna Morshedi of Greater Little Rock Moms Demand Action and Insherah Qazi, a member of the Students Demand Action National Organizing Board from Arkansas, both issued statements about the shooting Friday afternoon, calling for action to stem the rash of gun violence in the United States.
“Our hearts are with those who were wounded and their families after today’s shooting — where yet another trip to the grocery store ended in tragedy because of America’s gun violence crisis,” Morshedi said. “We’re fed up with having to live in fear every day because our lawmakers refuse to put our safety first.”
“It’s heartbreaking to see such senseless violence continue to cycle throughout our communities. But this is what happens when our state lacks basic gun safety laws,” Qazi said. “Arkansas has the weakest gun laws in the country and our gun violence rates show for it. Going to the grocery store shouldn’t be a death sentence. The answer to solving this crisis is clear, it’s just a matter of whether lawmakers have the courage to act.”
The Arkansas chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action are part of Everytown for Gun Safety.
Arkansas has the weakest gun laws of any state in the country, ranking 50th in the Everytown Gun Law Rankings.
Lawmakers in 2021 repealed an Arkansas law requiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon in public and in 2023 amended the law to clarify that concealed carry licensing is solely to allow reciprocity for licensees who travel to other states that require a permit to carry a concealed handgun. Act 777 also specifies that a person is not required to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun in Arkansas.
According to Everytown, Arkansas has the 9th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. In an average year, 638 people die by guns and another 1,247 people are wounded in Arkansas.
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Arkansas
All of Arkansas under high fire danger in March as burn bans spread statewide
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is urging residents to stay alert as we face a high risk of wildfires in the state.
All of Arkansas is now under a high fire danger, with more than half of all counties under burn bans.
Officials say dry conditions, above-average temperatures, and strong winds are making fires both easier to start—and harder to control.
They’re urging everyone to avoid outdoor burning, properly extinguish cigarettes, and use caution with machinery in dry areas.
“Right now, everybody just needs to postpone burning……Hopefully see things improve over the next few days.”
So far in March, more than 300 fires have burned more than nine-thousand acres.
Arkansas
What John Calipari said about Dairus Acuff after Arkansas basketball’s Sweet 16 exit
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A humbling loss to Arizona means Darius Acuff Jr.’s career with Arkansas basketball is likely over.
Acuff is projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He scored a game-high 28 points as the No. 4 Razorbacks (28-9) fell to the No. 1 Wildcats (35-2) 109-88 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 26.
After the loss, John Calipari reflected on Acuff’s historic season. The Hall of Fame coach will remember the Detroit native’s fierce spirit while hunting victories.
“(Acuff) was the ultimate competitor. He had a will to win and would make baskets because he wasn’t afraid to miss late in games,” Calipari said. “He and Meleek (Thomas) and the other guys, they set the stage for growth. You’re going to have an opportunity to get better, but it’s hard. The league is hard. You’ve got to be a gym rat if you really want to do this. Those guys proved it. I had a ball coaching them.”
Acuff became just the third person to win the SEC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards handed out by both the coaches and media, joining Anthony Davis (2012) and Brandon Miller (2023). He became the league’s first player since Pete Maravich to lead the SEC in both scoring and assists.
His final season-long stats were 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game. He shot 48.4% from the field and 44% on 3-pointers.
Acuff was short on words in his final press conference with the Hogs, but he didn’t bring up his individual accolades when asked what he will remember the most from a dynamic collegiate season.
“Brotherhood, for sure,” Acuff said. “With the team, great support from the fans. I don’t know, a lot of good stuff. It was a great year, for sure.”
Arkansas fans won’t soon forget his dominance.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Arkansas
What channel is Arkansas basketball vs Arizona on today? March Madness game time, TV, streaming
Ian Eagle recalls wildest memories from past NCAA Men’s Tournaments
Announcer Ian Eagle has been providing analysis for March Madness for decades. He joins us to talk about his partnership with Great Clips.
Darius Acuff Jr. and the fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks will face Brayden Burries and the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats as the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament continues with the Sweet 16 Thursday in San Jose, California.
The Razorbacks (28-8) reached the West Region semifinals by beating Hawaii and High Point. Meanwhile, the Wildcats (34-2) beat Long Island and Utah State.
Here’s how to watch the Razorbacks-Wildcats game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
Watch March Madness live with Sling TV
What time is Arkansas vs Arizona today? When is NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game today?
- Date: Thursday, March 26
- Start time: 8:45 p.m. CT
- Where: SAP Center in San Jose, California
What channel is Arkansas vs Arizona on today? How to watch, stream NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
- TV: TBS/truTV
- How to watch online: Sling (free trial)
Arkansas vs Arizona betting odds for March Madness Sweet 16 game
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, March 26:
- Moneyline: ARI -375 | ARK +290
- Spread: Arizona (-8.5)
- Over/under: 165.5
All times CT
All times CT
Print your own March Madness bracket for 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament
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