ARKABUTLA, Miss. — Six individuals had been fatally shot Friday in a small city in rural Mississippi close to the Tennessee state line, and authorities mentioned that they had taken a suspect into custody.

Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bailey Martin confirmed the killings in Arkabutla, in Tate County, to The Associated Press.

Gov. Tate Reeves’ workplace mentioned he had been briefed on the shootings and a male suspect was in custody.

“At this time, we believe he acted alone,” Reeves mentioned in an announcement. “His motive is not yet known.”

Tate County sheriffs dispatcher Shannon Brewer additionally confirmed {that a} suspect, who was not recognized, was in custody. Brewer mentioned additional data must come from Sheriff Brad Lance, who couldn’t instantly be reached by cellphone and didn’t instantly reply to an e-mail message.

An elementary faculty and a highschool in close by Coldwater each went on lockdown whereas the suspect was being sought, in response to the Coldwater Elementary School Facebook web page. A short while later, a second submit on the web page mentioned the lockdown had been lifted and “all students and staff are safe.”

Arkabutla resident April Wade, who grew up in Coldwater, mentioned each are small communities the place most individuals know one another, “but if you don’t, you know somebody who knows somebody.”

Speaking from an area tire retailer within the afternoon, Wade mentioned she and her husband had been conscious of the shootings however had not heard the names of the suspect or victims.

“I think it’s crazy,” Wade mentioned. “You do not expect something like that to happen so close to home.”

The shootings are the primary mass killing within the U.S. since Jan. 23, which noticed the final of six in a three-week interval, in response to an Associated Press/USA Today database. It defines a mass killing as 4 or extra individuals useless, not together with the perpetrator.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives mentioned its brokers had been offering help to the sheriff’s division and state investigators.

Arkabutla lies about 30 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, and is dwelling to 285 residents in response to the 2020 Census. Nearby Arkabutla Lake is a well-liked fishing and leisure vacation spot.