Sheriff: Gunman kills 6, including ex-wife, in Mississippi
Arkabutala (US) (AP): A lone gunman killed six people including his ex-wife and stepfather Friday at multiple locations in a tiny rural community in northern Mississippi, the sheriff said, leaving investigators searching for clues to what motivated the shocking rampage.
Armed with a shotgun and two handguns, 52-year-old Richard Dale Crum opened fire at about 11 am and killed a man in the driver's seat of a pickup truck parked outside a convenience store in Arkabutla, near the Tennessee state line, Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance said.
Deputies were working the crime scene when a second 911 call alerted authorities to another shooting a few miles away. After arriving at a home, they found a woman, whom the sheriff identified as Crum's ex-wife, shot dead and her current husband wounded.
Lance said deputies caught up with Crum outside his own home and arrested him. Behind the residence they found two handymen slain by gunfire one in the road, another in an SUV. Inside a neighbouring home, they discovered the bodies of Crum's stepfather and his stepfather's sister.
"Everybody has crime, and from time to time we have violent crime, but certainly nothing of this magnitude," Lance said in an interview. He added: "Without being able to say what triggered this, that's the scary part."
Crum, 52, was jailed without bond on a single charge of capital murder, and Lance said investigators were working to bring additional charges. It was not immediately known if Crum had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
That initial murder charge was for the killing of Chris Eugene Boyce, 59, the man who was shot outside the store. Boyce's brother was in the truck with him at the time and fled, according to the sheriff. Lance added that Crum chased the brother through a wooded area before he escaped unharmed.
"I heard the gunshot from inside my house," Ethan Cash, who lives near the store, told WREG-TV. "I had just woken up and I look back here, and I see dude walking back here with a shotgun."
Cash said he went to the scene and found one person who had been shot. He said he checked for a pulse but found none.
In the lobby of the Sheriff's Office, Norma Washington told The Associated Press that Chris Boyce was her nephew and he was from Florida. She said he and the brother, Doug, who lives in Alaska, had been in town cleaning up a property they inherited from their deceased uncle.
"I lost my brother, and now this one," Washington said. "This has been something else."
It was unclear whether Crum knew either of the brothers.
The killings stunned residents of Arkabutla, home to 285 people and located about 50 kilometers south of Memphis, Tennessee. It's the hometown of famed actor James Earl Jones, and nearby Arkabutla Lake is a popular fishing and recreational destination.
An elementary school and a high school in nearby Coldwater both went on lockdown while the suspect was being sought, according to the Coldwater Elementary School Facebook page. A short time later, a second post on the page said the lockdown had been lifted and "all students and staff are safe."
April Wade, who lives in Arkabutla and grew up in Coldwater, said both are small communities where most people know each other, "but if you don't, you know somebody who knows somebody."
Speaking from a local tire store in the afternoon, Wade said she and her husband were aware of the shootings but had not yet heard the names of the suspect or victims.
"I think it's crazy," Wade said. "You do not expect something like that to happen so close to home."
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said its agents were providing assistance to the sheriff's department and state investigators. Lance said one of their top priorities was to determine a motive.
The sheriff, who has lived in the area his entire life and served in law enforcement for 25 years, said he could recall no prior problems with Crum.
The shootings are the first mass killing in the US since January 23, which saw the last of six in a three-week period, according to an Associated Press/USA Today database. It defines a mass killing as four or more people dead, not including the perpetrator.
In a statement, President Joe Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden were mourning the six victims and praying for the survivors. He urged Congress to act now on gun law reforms to address what he called "an epidemic" of gun violence. (AP)
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Goa readies to ring in New Year with massive tourist turnout
Panaji (PTI): Goa is bracing for an influx of tourists in the run-up to New Year's Eve, as at least five lakh visitors are expected to throng the beaches and party hotspots of the coastal state to usher in the festivities, an official said on Sunday.
The state tourism department claimed that the December 6 nightclub fire that killed 25 people in Arpora village in North Goa didn't seem to have impacted the activities.
Talking to PTI Videos, State Tourism Director Kedar Naik said Goa is a safe destination, and people will continue to enjoy their New Year celebrations here.
Popular beaches are gearing up for grand firework displays, while shacks are transforming into high-energy party zones that will keep buzzing late into the night.
The state was fully geared up to receive visitors from India and abroad, Naik said.
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"Goa is all set to welcome tourists for the New Year's Eve celebrations. We have seen a large number of tourists coming into the state this entire year," he said.
While the number of tourists was considerably low due to flight cancellations in the first week of December, things have picked up, and now visitors are crowding the beaches and the hinterland, Naik said.
"Regular chartered flights are coming in from Russia and the UK. Apart from these, new chartered services have been started to new destinations and will continue to come till March," he said.
Tourists were seen soaking in the festive atmosphere at restaurants, flea markets and promenades in Calangute and Baga in North Goa and South Goa's beaches, including Benauli, Majorda, Colva and Palolem.
For domestic tourists, the New Year celebrations make Goa the destination of choice this time of the year.
Vaibhav, a tourist from Kolhapur, said, "We came to Goa during the Christmas season to celebrate the holidays. As you can see, the beaches are very crowded, and it feels really nice to be here in Goa."
Social media influencers and content creators are using the vibrant atmosphere as a backdrop for their work, mixed with leisure.
"I have been coming to Goa for many years, and we love Goa. I love the seafood and everything about the place," said Vrushali Jawale, a content creator from Mumbai.
Fireworks are slated to light up the skies along the shoreline at midnight on December 31, while cruise vessels plan special sailings, and music festivals and club events are expected to continue till dawn.
The state, long known for its easygoing vibe, beach shacks and nightlife, is once again set to transform into a massive open-air party venue for revellers from across the world.
