Two People Shot and Killed and Multiple Injured, Including One Police Officer, in Arkansas Mass Shooting; Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond 

FORDYCE, Ark. – Today, the Arkansas chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statements in response to the mass shooting outside of the Mad Butcher market earlier today. While details are still developing, early reports indicate that two people were shot and killed and multiple other people were injured, including a police officer, in a shooting that involved AR-15 style weapons. Reports indicate that the main suspect is in custody. 

“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,” said Anna Morshedi, Local Group Lead of Greater Little Rock Moms Demand Action. “We’re fed up with having to live in fear everyday because our lawmakers refuse to put our safety first. We know that there are solutions to this devastation and yet our lawmakers would rather offer thoughts and prayers. We deserve lawmakers who will actually prioritize our lives.” 

“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,” said Insherah Qazi, a member of the Students Demand Action National Organizing Board from Arkansas. “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.”

Arkansas has the weakest gun laws of any state in the country, ranking 50th in the Everytown Gun Law Rankings. And yet, lawmakers have failed to prioritize the safety of their constituents and instead repealed the state’s last remaining foundational gun law by getting rid of their concealed carry permitting requirement in 2021,advancing the gun lobby’s “guns everywhere agenda.” 

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. More information about gun violence in Arkansas can be found here.