The shooter’s six victims in Arkabutla, Mississippi, are said to have been in part relatives of the man. Bild: AP
Police found the shooter at a neighboring home following killing people five and six. “Enough,” says the American President. He speaks of dozens of mass shootings in the United States – since the beginning of this year alone.
After six people were shot dead in the American state of Mississippi on Friday, the police have identified the suspected shooter and the fatalities. Some of the victims of the attack are family members of the shooter. The American President Joe Biden demanded stricter gun laws following the bloodbath.
The police explained the crime in Mississippi, the suspected shooter opened fire at a store in the small town of Arkabutla south of Memphis, killing another man. According to media reports, he then shot and killed a woman in a nearby house. She was identified by authorities as his ex-wife. Police then tracked the shooter’s vehicle from that home to another owned by the suspect. The shooter killed two other men in the immediate vicinity.
A fifth and sixth person, who the local sheriff said may be related to the shooter, were found dead at a neighboring home. That’s where the police found the suspected shooter. When he tried to escape from this house, she was able to follow him and ultimately arrest him.
Investigators are investigating a crime scene in Arkabutla, Mississippi, following six people were shot dead at the site. Bild: AP
“Gun violence is an epidemic”
The Tate Country Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect in a Facebook post as a 52-year-old man. He is in custody and is suspected of murder. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said the suspect was believed to have acted alone. According to Reeves, the motive was initially unclear.
Joe Biden expressed dismay at the attack and called for tougher gun laws. “It’s enough,” he said on Friday. “The year is only 48 days old and our nation has already suffered at least 73 mass shootings. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Gun violence is an epidemic and Congress must act now.” However, reform of the gun law has been blocked for years by the Republicans, who have also held a majority in the House of Representatives since January.
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Just a few days ago, without an initially known motive, a man shot three people on a university campus in Michigan; in January there were also two gun attacks in less than a week on people of Asian descent in California. According to the website Gun Violence Archive, more than 44,000 people were killed by guns in the United States last year alone. More than half of the cases involved homicides, accidents or self-defense.
