Travis Posey Sentenced to Life in Prison for Fordyce Mass Shooting

Travis Posey, 45, will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty Monday to a deadly mass shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce on June 21, 2024.

Posey was sentenced to four life terms without parole and an additional 220 years for 11 counts of attempted capital murder. His sentence will run consecutively.

The shooting left four people dead and 11 others injured, marking what city officials called “the worst day in Fordyce history.” The victims killed were Callie Weems, 23; Shirley Kay Taylor, 63; Roy Sturgis, 50; and Ellen Shrum, 81.

Posey had pleaded not guilty for over a year before changing his plea and finalizing the agreement on July 21 at the Ouachita County Detention Center courtroom.

In court, victim statements were read aloud, including one from survivor Kasey Harbour, a store clerk who was shot during the attack. Outside the courtroom, she recalled:

“He shot at me three times that day, and he got me the last time.”

No motive has been released by investigators.

Helen Browning, the mother of victim Callie Weems, said justice had been served.
“He will never walk outside of prison walls again… Callie’s legacy lives on with a scholarship,” Browning said.

Posey remains in custody at the Ouachita County Detention Center.