Shooting Rampage Leaves 6 Dead, Including 7-Year-Old Girl

A horrifying shooting rampage left six people dead — including a 7-year-old girl — after a gunman allegedly opened fire at three different homes in rapid succession in Clay County, Mississippi.

Authorities say the violence unfolded Friday evening, Jan. 9, when the suspect, identified by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office as 24-year-old Daricka Moore, began moving from house to house, killing victims at residences on David Hill Road, Blake Road, and Siloam-Griffith Road.

Investigators say the first stop was a home on David Hill Road, where Moore allegedly shot and killed three members of his own family: his father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore; his brother, 33-year-old Quintin Moore; and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines. All three men were shot in the head and were pronounced dead when deputies arrived, according to reports from NBC News and Mississippi ABC affiliate WTVA.

After the initial killings, Moore allegedly stole his brother’s Ford F-150 truck and drove to a second home on Blake Road. There, Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said Moore broke into the residence and attempted to commit a sexual assault while armed with a handgun.

During that attack, authorities say Moore shot a 7-year-old girl in the head in front of witnesses. A 911 call alerted deputies, but the child — who Sheriff Scott said was related to the suspect — was pronounced dead at the scene.

Moore then allegedly drove to a third residence on Siloam-Griffith Road, where another emergency call was placed. Deputies responding to the scene found the stolen truck and the bodies of two men — identified as Barry Bradley and Samuel Bradley — both of whom had been shot in the head.

Sheriff Scott said it remains unclear whether Moore had any prior relationship with the victims at the third home, unlike the earlier attacks.

The violent spree ended when Moore was taken into custody at the intersection of Pine Grove Road and Joe Myers Road. Authorities say he was driving another vehicle allegedly stolen from the Siloam-Griffith Road residence. He was arrested without incident.

Moore was booked into jail early Saturday on a first-degree murder charge, which authorities say will be upgraded to capital murder, along with additional murder charges. District Attorney Scott Colom said the death penalty will be considered.

Investigators have not identified a motive for the killings.

“I don’t know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old,” Sheriff Scott said, calling the events of the night an unthinkable tragedy.