2023 Arkabutla shootings

On the morning of February 17, 2023, a spree shooting took place in Arkabutla, Mississippi, resulting in six deaths and one injury. According to a Wikipedia account of the incident, the violence began at approximately 11:00 a.m. when the perpetrator pulled into the parking lot of an Express Mart gas station convenience store and shot into an adjacent vehicle, killing a man who had no connection to the attacker. A second person in that vehicle was left unharmed.

The suspect then drove to the home of his ex-wife and fatally shot her. He also struck her fiancé with a gun but did not shoot him. From there, the perpetrator drove to a residence behind his ex-wife's house, where he fatally shot his stepfather and his stepfather's sister. He then fatally shot two more men on a road behind his own house — one identified as his stepfather's cousin and the other as a family friend who was present to help repair a roof.

A sheriff's deputy spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspect's car. After an attempted traffic stop failed, the deputy followed the vehicle until it stopped in the driveway of the suspect's home, where the suspect was arrested as he attempted to flee on foot.

The six people killed were identified as Chris Boyce, 59; Debra Crum, 60; Charles Manuel, 76; George McCain, 73; Lynda McCain, 78; and John Rorie, 59. Three of the six victims had a personal connection to the accused, while the others were reported to have had no connection to him.

The suspect was identified as Richard Dale Crum, 52 at the time of the shootings (born January 1970), a former Illinois resident who was living in neighboring Coldwater, Mississippi. Crum was born and raised in Rock Falls, Illinois, and had lived in several other Illinois towns during parts of his life. A family friend told CBS News, as referenced in the source material, that Crum had a history of mental illness.

Crum was charged with murder, and prosecutors have indicated they are seeking the death penalty. On October 2, 2025, a court found Crum to be "presently incompetent to stand trial," and he was remanded to the Mississippi State Hospital for competency restoration. As of that date, the case remains pending, with no trial having taken place. <parameter name="timeline">[{"date": "2023-02-17", "event": "Shootings occur in and around Arkabutla, Mississippi, beginning at a gas station and continuing to multiple residences; six people are killed and one injured. Suspect Richard Dale Crum is arrested the same day after a vehicle pursuit."}, {"date": "2025-10-02", "event": "Court finds Richard Dale Crum 'presently incompetent to stand trial' and remands him to Mississippi State Hospital for competency restoration."}]