A young mum rushed to help a victim shot during a mass shooting before she was gunned down.
Callie Weems, 23, was tragically killed after a gunman opened fire at a Arkansas grocery store. Her distraught mum said Callie was loving being a mum herself and her 10-month-old daughter Ivy was a constant source of joy and amazement.
Helen Browning, Callie's mum revealed the murdered woman had been delighting in the fact that her little girl had let her sleep until 9 am that morning.
Callie was one of four people fatally wounded in the horrific shooting at the Mad Butcher store in Fordyce, Arkansas, which left 11 others injured, including the alleged gunman. "'I bet you feel like a new mom,'" Browning remembered texting back to Callie's delight at getting to sleep a little later.
Were you at the scene? Do you live Fordyce? Please get in touch at charlie.jones01@reachplc.com
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Police at the scene of the mass shooting (Arkansas Attorney General Tim Gr/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)This was their last conversation before the dreadful event unfolded. Police report that 44 year old Travis Eugene Posey of New Edinburg opened fire at the store, causing chaos as terrified bystanders sought cover from the hail of bullets.
Callie, a nurse by profession, lost her life while assisting another gunshot victim, revealed Arkansas State Police Director Mike Hagar on Sunday. "Instead of fleeing the store, she stopped to render aid in one of the most selfless acts I've ever seen," he said during a news conference.
In total, 15 individuals were shot on Friday, including 12 civilians, two law enforcement officers and the suspect, named Posey. The motive behind Posey's actions remains unclear, with police stating on Sunday that he appeared to have no personal connection to any of his victims.
Callie had been speaking to her own mum about being a mother (Callie Weems/Facebook)
Callie was delighting in being a mum (Callie Weems/Facebook)Armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, a pistol and a bandolier filled with dozens of extra shotgun rounds, Posey reportedly fired most, if not all, of the rounds from his shotgun. He began his attack in the parking lot before moving into the store where he fired "indiscriminately" at customers and employees, according to Hagar.
Local law enforcement, including Fordyce police and Dallas County sheriff's deputies, arrived on the scene within minutes. Posey exited the store and engaged in a gunfight with them before being shot and taken into custody.
For one victim, Browning, the tragedy was made even worse due to her connection to another victim, Roy Sturgis, 50, who was also shot and killed. Browning described Sturgis as part of her extended family, a logger and a loving father to his daughter.
Mugshot of the suspected shooter Travis Posey, 44 (Ouachita County Sheriff)"Roy was as country as cornbread," she said. "He lived a simple life. He was a simple man." The other victims who lost their lives in the attack were identified as Shirley Taylor, 62, and Ellen Shrum, 81.
Taylor, a devoted wife who looked after her diabetic husband and enjoyed crocheting, was remembered by her daughter Angela Atchley as the pillar of their family during an interview with KTHV in Little Rock, Arkansas. "She was our family rock," Atchley shared.
The small city of Fordyce, home to roughly 3,200 residents and situated 65 miles south of Little Rock, is struggling to come to terms with the recent shooting, according to city council member Roderick Rogers.
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After receiving calls for assistance on Friday, Rogers rushed to the local grocery store. "It was like a war zone," he recounted, painting a picture of the shooter firing "like crazy" in the parking lot.
Callie's baby is just 10-months-old and has now lost her mum (Callie Weems/Facebook)Rogers also highlighted the community's fear, with many concerned about the well-being of those still in hospital and the looming threat of further violence. "A lot of people are frightened," he admitted. "They want to feel safe right now."
The tragedy hit close to home for the law enforcement officers and deputies who responded to the scene, as they were familiar with both the shooter and the victims, making the incident especially harrowing, Hagar noted.
Authorities have stated that Posey, currently held at the Ouachita County Detention Center, faces four counts of capital murder charges. A state police spokesperson mentioned on Sunday that it is believed Posey has legal representation, although the attorney's identity was unknown at the time.
Callie would post happy pictures of the newborn on her social media (Callie Weems/Facebook)Browning, who revealed that Posey attended school with her youngest sister, expressed disbelief at his capability for such violence. She has resolved to take care of Ivy moving forward. "She will know that her mother loved her," she stated. "And that she was the sunshine of momma's eyes."
This marks at least the third mass shooting at a US grocery store in the past three years. In 2022, a racially motivated attack saw a white supremacist kill 10 Black individuals at a Buffalo supermarket.
This incident occurred just over a year after another 10 people were fatally shot at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.
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