Six people were killed in Mississippi late Friday night, Jan. 9, and a suspected shooter is in custody, according to local authorities.
Clay County Sheriff's Office Eddie Scottwrote in a Facebook post just before midnight on Jan. 9, "Unfortunately tonight we have dealt with tragedy in our community. Multiple innocent lives lost due to violence."
Scott added that the sheriff's office has an "individual in custody and no longer poses a threat to our community."
Daricka Moore, 24, has been identified as the suspected shooter, according to Tupelo, Mississippi-based TV stationWTVAand theAssociated Press. He was booked into the Clay County jail shortly after 3 a.m. on a first-degree murder charge, inmate records reviewed by USA TODAY show.
"I ask that you lift our victims and their families in your prayers," Scott wrote in the social media post. "Law Enforcement is busy investigating and will release an update as soon as possible."
Specifics surrounding the motive behind the killings remain sparse, but Scott did confirm toNBC Newsand WTVA that a total of six people were killed, and the shootings occurred at three different locations.
USA TODAY contacted the Clay County Sheriff's Office on Jan. 10, but has not yet received a response.
7-year-old child killed during shooting spree, sheriff says
At a new conference on Saturday, Jan. 10, Scott said the victims were four family members related to the suspect and two other adults. The youngest victim was a cousin of the shooting suspect, he added.
"I don't know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old," Scott said at the news conference.
The shootings occurred in Cedarbluff, a rural community west of the county seat of West Point.
"This guy wasn't (on) our radar," Scott said about the suspect. "This is family members that he went after."
What is Daricka Moore accused of?
According to Scott, the first shooting occurred before 7 p.m. at a home on David Hill Road, where Moore allegedly shot and killed his father, Gleen Moore, 67; uncle, Willie Guines, 55; and brother, Quinten Moore, 33. He then stole his brother's pickup and drove to another home, where he broke in and tried to sexually assault someone, before killing a 7-year-old girl found in the home, the sheriff added.
Moore is then believed to have driven the truck to a third home in the area, which is where investigators found the abandoned vehicle and the bodies of Barry Bradley and Samuel Bradley, according to Scott. Moore was eventually arrested while he was inside another truck that investigators believe was stolen from the third home he visited, the sheriff added.
"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."
According to Scott, evidence and witnesses indicate Moore was the only shooter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:6 killed in Mississippi shootings, suspect arrested, sheriff says
