- One suspect was in custody, and more arrests were possible, police said.
- An unknown number of children were among the wounded.
- The 16th annual Hood-Nic Car Show was sponsored by a local youth empowerment organization.
One person was in custody and a search was underway for another shooter Sunday after a rampage at a southeast Arkansas car show left at least one person dead and 28 wounded, police said.
An organizer said the car show was one of several events held Saturday to promote non-violence in Dumas, a town of less than 5,000 people about 90 miles south of Little Rock.
Six children under the age of 11, including two toddlers, were brought to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, and five had been released, Arkansas State Police Colonel Bill Bryant said Sunday.
Bryant identified the fatal victim as 23-year-old Cameron Shaffer of Jacksonville, Arkansas.
Dumas Police Chief Keith Finch said the car show was in full swing when “multiple gunmen began shooting.”
Officials believe the shooting began when two people got in a gunfight, Bryant said. He said the violence in the small farming community was “shocking.”
“You don’t expect that from small-town Arkansas,” he said Sunday.
Sadler said state troopers responded to the initial report of a shooting around 7:25 pm and were helping Dumas police officers “restore calm to the community.” He said the crime scene runs through the center of town.
The 16th annual Hood-Nic Car Show was sponsored by the Delta Neighborhood Empowerment Youth Organization, according to the group’s website. The show is part of a community event including a parade, bike show and other activities held each spring to raise funds for scholarships and school supplies, according to the organization’s website.
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Wallace McGehee, the car show organizer, said the event promotes non-violence and has always provided safe, family-oriented entertainment. I have expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the community.
“We apologize for all of this … This has never happened with us at our event ever,” McGehee said. “For something like this to happen, it’s a tragedy.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Jones tweeted that he’d attended the event earlier Saturday and was “heartbroken” to hear the news.
“We registered voters, enjoyed good music and celebrated a positive family environment,” Jones said in a statement. “I am deeply saddened (and honestly angered) by this tragedy.”
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted: “The hearts of Arkansans from across the state are with the people of Dumas today. I’m grateful to the Arkansas State Police for their work on the case, and I pray that God will bring comfort to the victims and their families.”
Lt.Gov. Tim Griffin, also tweeted condolences to the Dumas community after the “senseless & tragic shooting.”
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism