Fordyce community expresses grief following a major shooting

Little Rock, Arkansas – Days after the Mad Butcher grocery shop mass shooting, the Fordyce neighborhood is still in shock. Many people concurred that their little community has altered irrevocably.

“There’s no words,” Fordyce Resident, Christina Lawson said.

A location where everyone is familiar with one another’s names… With little over 3,000 residents, the city of Fordyce is now home to many who are uncertain about how to proceed following such a terrible incident.

Lawson stated that, similar to the majority of the population, she would go to the Mad Butcher nearly every day.

Minutes before the incident, on the day of the shooting, her husband and another family member were at the store.

“I really don’t know. I feel a change you know? I feel like everybody here is just they’re saddened. Like they don’t want to open up they don’t want to talk. Some don’t. Some do and it just the whole atmosphere has changed,” Lawson said.

The employees of a veterinary clinic across the street were holed up inside, terrified for their lives.

“I called the staff that were here. I was at a different place that’s when I started to gather that this was a major,” Dallas County Animal Clinic, Veterinarian, Rocky Lindsey said.

Fearful that they would learn of someone they knew being involved, a large number of the staff saw everything that was happening.

“I know some of the victims’ families. Our staff are related to some of the victims. In fact, I understand that one of our staff members went and picked up Callie’s daughter from daycare after it happened, so ya know something like this has ripple effects and it’ll impact people for a long time. The community has changed as a result of it,” Lindsey said.

Veterinarian Rocky Lindsey says that while the city is still in mourning, his company, like many others, reopened to provide a space for individuals to express their emotions and restore some normalcy to the community.

“The canned sayings are pray for the city but that’s definitely something you can do. You can pray, support, give where you can give,” Lindsey said.

“I just wish the whole town would come together again. Ya know. Everybody just be like how it use to be and I know it’s not but that’s what I wish,” Lawson said.

Others in the neighborhood argued that the city is resilient and that they will eventually recover more than before.