A tragic mass shooting in rural Mississippi has left six people dead, including a seven-year-old child, in a late-night rampage that spanned three separate locations.
Details of the Shooting Spree
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott confirmed the horrific details at a news conference on Saturday 10 January 2026. The violence unfolded on Friday night in the small community of Cedarbluff, which lies west of the county seat, West Point, and close to the Alabama border.
Authorities have charged Daricka M Moore, 24, with first-degree murder. Sheriff Scott indicated this charge could be upgraded to capital murder and that Moore may face additional murder counts as the investigation continues.
Victims and the Suspect's Motive
Sheriff Scott revealed that four of the victims were family members of the suspect. The youngest victim, a seven-year-old child, was the suspect's second cousin. "I don't know what kind of motive you could have to kill a seven-year-old," the sheriff stated, expressing the senselessness of the crime.
In a particularly chilling detail, investigators believe Moore placed a gun to the head of an even younger child at the home where the seven-year-old was killed. It remains unclear whether the weapon misfired during this encounter. Officials confirmed a third child and their mother were also present in that house at the time.
Legal Proceedings and Community Impact
The suspect, Daricka M Moore, is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Monday. The close-knit, rural community of Cedarbluff is now grappling with the aftermath of this devastating event, which has shaken residents near the Mississippi-Alabama state line.
This incident adds to the grim statistics of gun violence in the region, raising urgent questions about community safety and the factors that lead to such familial tragedies.
