Authorities say a 24-year-old relative is accused of killing four family members and two others during a Friday night rampage.
WEST POINT, MS — Six people were shot to death late Friday across three locations in rural Clay County, and a 24-year-old man is in custody, officials said. The killings unfolded near the Cedarbluff community west of West Point and included a 7-year-old girl. Investigators identified the suspect as Daricka M. Moore and said he was arrested at a roadblock several hours after the first 911 call.
The case has jolted this northeast Mississippi county and prompted a multiagency response. Sheriff Eddie Scott said the victims include four of Moore’s relatives and two men killed at a separate residence tied to a small church property. Prosecutors said Moore initially faces a first-degree murder count, with evidence under review for potential capital charges. Authorities spent the weekend processing scenes at three homes and interviewing witnesses as they worked to map the timeline and determine a motive, which remains unclear. Officials said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Deputies first received a call from the Cedarbluff area around 5:56 p.m. Friday. By the time investigators reached the initial home on David Hill Road, three men were dead: Moore’s father, Glenn Moore, 67; his brother, Quintin Moore, 33; and his uncle, Willie Ed Guines, 55, according to authorities. Investigators say Moore left that house in his brother’s Ford F-150 pickup and drove to a second residence on Blake Road, where witnesses later told deputies he forced his way inside. “I don’t know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old,” Sheriff Scott said Saturday, calling the night’s events a tragedy for the county.
At the Blake Road home, officials said, Moore attempted a sexual assault while armed with a handgun and then fatally shot a 7-year-old girl in front of witnesses. Her name has not been released. According to the sheriff, a younger child had a gun held to her head but was not shot. From there, investigators say the shooter drove a few miles to a third location on Siloam-Griffith Road, a residence associated with the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus. Two men, identified as the Rev. Barry Bradley and his brother, Samuel Bradley, were found dead inside, both with gunshot wounds. Authorities said they recovered the truck from the third scene and later determined the suspect left in another vehicle taken there.
Scott said evidence and witness statements indicate Moore acted alone. Deputies, state troopers, U.S. Marshals and other agencies flooded the area and set up roadblocks as night fell. The sheriff said Moore was taken into custody without incident at 11:24 p.m. near Pine Grove Road and Joe Myers Road, roughly four and a half hours after the first report of gunfire. Investigators also recovered a rifle and a handgun, according to officials. The state medical examiner is conducting autopsies on all six victims. Authorities have not publicly discussed how the suspect obtained the weapons or what, if any, prior contacts he had with law enforcement.
Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom said prosecutors expect to seek the death penalty once the case is presented for capital charges, citing the number of victims and the child’s killing. Under Mississippi law, a capital charge would make Moore ineligible for bail. Officials said a first appearance in justice court is expected Monday, Jan. 12, with a public defender to be appointed at that time. Investigators are continuing to process forensic evidence from each home, including ballistics and digital records, and are working to complete next-of-kin notifications as they verify relationships among the victims at the second and third scenes.
The rampage is among the deadliest incidents reported in Mississippi in recent years and comes as Clay County, population about 18,000, grapples with the shock of losing multiple generations in one family. Cedarbluff sits in a patchwork of farms and pine stands about 10 miles west of West Point and near the Lowndes County line. The Bradley brothers, including the pastor, had strong ties to a congregation that meets on the Siloam-Griffith Road property, according to local officials. Relatives of the Moore family told reporters they were overwhelmed with grief. At a Saturday afternoon briefing, the sheriff repeated that deputies are still working to understand what led up to the killings and whether there were any precipitating disputes.
By Sunday morning, neighbors had left flowers at the church gate and along the shoulder near the crime scenes. Patrol cars idled at driveway entrances while investigators moved in and out carrying evidence bags. “This is just not something you expect here,” said a man who lives along David Hill Road and asked that his name not be used because the families know each other. A woman who attended services led by the Rev. Bradley described the pastor as gentle and steady. “He was a quiet leader for us,” she said. In town, businesses lowered flags as West Point police assisted the sheriff’s office with traffic near the courthouse.
As of Sunday, officials said the immediate priority is completing autopsies, finishing scene processing and preparing case files for prosecutors. The sheriff’s office said further updates would come after Monday’s initial court appearance and once investigators are confident they have accounted for all physical evidence and witness statements. Authorities did not release funeral plans for the victims. The next formal update is expected after the first appearance in Clay County Justice Court on Monday, Jan. 12.
Author note: Last updated January 11, 2026.