A man who opened fire at a grocery store in Fordyce last year, killing four people and injuring 11 others, was sentenced Monday to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Travis Posey, 45, received four life sentences without the possibility of parole, along with additional sentences totaling 220 years for 11 counts of attempted capital murder. All sentences will be served consecutively.
Posey pleaded guilty to the charges in a courtroom at the Ouachita County Detention Center, more than a year after initially entering a not guilty plea. He signed a guilty plea agreement and finalized the plea on July 21.
The shooting occurred June 21, 2024, at the Mad Butcher grocery store, prompting an outpouring of grief from the community. City officials called it “the worst day in Fordyce, AR history.” The store temporarily closed after the shooting but reopened several weeks later.
The victims killed were identified as Callie Weems, 23; Shirley Kay Taylor, 63; Roy Sturgis, 50; and Ellen Shrum, 81.
Kasey Harbour, a store clerk who survived the attack, spoke outside the courtroom.
“I’m sure I’ve waited on him before at the store, but he’s a quiet man so I really don’t even remember, my first time seeing him is when he pointed the gun at me the first time,” Harbour said. “He shot at me three times that day, and he got me the last time.”
Investigators have not released a motive in the shooting. Posey has been held at the Ouachita County Detention Center since his arrest.
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