A 24-year-old Mississippi man killed six people — including a 7-year-old girl and a church pastor — during a Friday night rampage across three locations in rural Clay County, authorities said Saturday. Daricka M. Moore was arrested at a police roadblock just before midnight after dozens of local, state and federal officers flooded the northeast Mississippi area. He was being held without bail Saturday at the Clay County jail in West Point on murder charges.
Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom said he expects to pursue the death penalty, calling the case “about as bad as it gets — six people, one night, several different scenes.” Investigators said Saturday they have not yet established a motive for the attack, which killed three of Moore’s relatives, a young cousin, and two men connected to a local church.
Arrest and charges
Moore was charged with murder and was expected to make an initial court appearance before a judge Monday, Colom told the Associated Press. Moore will likely be appointed a public defender at that hearing, Colom said.
If charges are upgraded to capital murder before the appearance, Moore will be ineligible for bail under Mississippi state law. Colom said he is confident his office has the resources to prosecute the case.
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said at a Saturday news conference that evidence and witnesses indicate Moore was the sole shooter and that no other injuries have been reported.
Sequence of killings at three sites
Investigators believe Moore first shot and killed his father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore; his brother, 33-year-old Quinton Moore; and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines, at the family’s mobile home on a dirt road in western Clay County, Scott said.
Moore then stole his brother’s truck and drove a few miles to a cousin’s house, where, according to Scott, he forced his way in and allegedly attempted to commit sexual battery. Moore then shot and killed a 7-year-old girl at the home; Scott declined to identify her.
Scott said Moore then placed a gun against a younger child’s head, but the child was not shot — it was not clear whether Moore did not pull the trigger or the gun misfired. A mother and a third child were also present at the home.
“I don’t know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old,” Scott said. “That’s how violent it was.”
Moore then allegedly drove to the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus, a small white frame church in the area. There, Scott said, he broke into a residence and killed the Rev. Barry Bradley, the church’s pastor, and Bradley’s brother Samuel Bradley. The two men lived mostly in nearby Columbus but spent weekends on church grounds, Scott said. Some Moore family members attend the church.
Capture
Moore was stopped at a roadblock at 11:24 p.m. near the site of the second shooting — approximately four and a half hours after the first emergency call came in, Scott said. Colom said Moore was found in possession of a rifle and a handgun. Investigators are examining where Moore obtained the weapons.
The shootings unfolded in an area of fields, woods and mostly modest homes about 125 miles northeast of Jackson.
Community impact
Scott said Moore’s surviving relatives are overwhelmed with grief.
“It was really hard to have conversations other than prayers with everybody out there,” Scott said. “This has really shaken our community.”
Investigators were continuing to interview Moore Saturday, Scott said.
“A situation like this, you’ve got a family member attacking their own family,” Scott said. “Whatever the reason is, we’re hoping that we’ll find out.”