A tragic series of shootings in Mississippi claimed the lives of six individuals, including a seven-year-old girl, on the night of March 10, 2023. Daricka M. Moore, a 24-year-old man, stands accused of murdering his father, brother, uncle, and a church pastor along with the pastor’s brother during a violent rampage across three locations in rural Clay County.
Moore was apprehended just before midnight at a police roadblock in Cedarbluff, where law enforcement had mobilized in response to the shootings. He is currently being held without bail at the Clay County jail, facing multiple murder charges. An initial court appearance is scheduled for March 13, 2023, where Moore is expected to be assigned a public defender. Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom indicated that he intends to pursue the death penalty in this case, which reflects the severity of the alleged offenses.
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott stated during a news conference that evidence and witness accounts suggest Moore acted alone, with no additional injuries reported. Investigators are still working to determine the motive behind the attacks. “A situation like this, you’ve got a family member attacking their own family,” Scott remarked, expressing the community’s shock at the violence.
The shootings began at the Moore family mobile home, where the suspect allegedly killed his father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore, his brother, 33-year-old Quinton Moore, and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines. Following this, Moore reportedly stole his brother’s truck and drove a short distance to a cousin’s residence. Here, he attempted to commit sexual battery against his cousin’s daughter, a seven-year-old girl, before fatally shooting her. Sheriff Scott declined to disclose the girl’s name but expressed deep concern, stating, “I don’t know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old.”
According to Scott, witnesses reported that Moore also threatened another child but ultimately did not shoot her. The child’s mother and a third child were present during the incident, adding to the horrifying nature of the events.
The rampage continued as Moore traveled to the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus, where he allegedly broke into a residence and killed the church’s pastor, Rev. Barry Bradley, and his brother, Samuel Bradley. The pastor and his brother primarily resided in nearby Columbus but spent weekends at the church grounds. Sheriff Scott noted that some of Moore’s family members attended this church.
Moore’s capture occurred approximately four and a half hours after the first shooting was reported. He was found at a roadblock at 23:24. Authorities discovered that he was in possession of both a rifle and a handgun, prompting an investigation into how he acquired the firearms. The state medical examiner is conducting autopsies on the victims as part of the ongoing investigation.
Sheriff Scott described the emotional toll on the surviving family members, stating, “It was really hard to have conversations other than prayers with everybody out there.” The community has been deeply affected by this tragedy, and Colom echoed these sentiments. He remarked on the unprecedented nature of the incident, saying, “Six people, one night, several different scenes, it’s about as bad as it gets.”
As the investigation continues, the Clay County community grapples with the aftermath of this senseless violence, seeking answers and support in the wake of such profound loss.
