Six Dead in Series of Shootings in Clay County - Suspect Charged

Deputies in Clay County discovered a string of related shootings in the Cedarbluff and West Point area late Friday, Jan. 9, and into the night, leaving six people dead and a rural community reeling. Sheriff Eddie Scott said evidence and witness statements identified a single suspect who was taken into custody early Saturday, Jan. 10.

Investigators allege the killings occurred at three separate locations west of the county seat of West Point. At a scene on David Hill Road, deputies found three men with gunshot wounds to the head identified as Glenn Moore, 67; Willie Guines, 55; and Quinten Moore, 33. Authorities described a 7-year-old girl as one of the victims at a separate house and said two other adult victims were killed at locations not yet publicly tied to specific addresses.

Sheriff Scott said witnesses and physical evidence point to a single shooter and that the suspect, identified as 24-year-old Daricka M. Moore, allegedly shot multiple family members, then stole a Ford F-150 reported to belong to one of the deceased. Sheriff Scott said investigators believe Moore placed a gun to the head of a younger child in the house where the 7-year-old died, though it was not clear whether the firearm misfired in that instance. Autopsies will be conducted by the Mississippi Crime Lab.

Moore was booked into the Clay County jail shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday on a first-degree murder charge. Prosecutors said they are working to upgrade the charge to capital murder and that additional murder charges could be filed as the investigation continues. They indicated they will seek the death penalty if the suspect is found eligible and the charge is upgraded. An initial court appearance was scheduled for the Monday following the arrest.

The killings have devastated a small community where many of the victims were related. Sheriff Scott captured the disbelief of neighbors and relatives, saying, “I don’t know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7‑year‑old,” and describing surviving family members as in “overwhelmed grief.” District Attorney Scott Colom called the incident “horrific” and among the worst he has encountered.

Beyond criminal prosecution, the episode raises immediate public health and community needs. Rural counties like Clay face persistent shortages of mental health providers, crisis response resources and victim-support services. The sudden loss of multiple family members in a close-knit community concentrates grief and can strain local healthcare and social services that are already limited, forcing residents to travel long distances for counseling, medical care and legal advocacy.

Officials have left several questions unanswered, including motive, the complete timeline connecting the three scenes and the identities of two adult victims whose names have not been released. Investigators also noted an allegation of an attempted sexual assault as part of the ongoing probe; that allegation has not been adjudicated. Court records indicate Moore had no prior criminal charges.

As autopsy results, forensic analysis and witness interviews continue, the case will test local emergency and social support systems. Community leaders and public health officials will face the task of coordinating trauma care, grief counseling and long-term supports for family members and neighbors still processing the violence. In counties with limited budgets and thinly staffed services, those efforts will demand regional and state-level coordination to meet immediate needs and reduce the risk of longer-term harms to residents.