A man faces murder charges after six people, including a 7-year-old child, were killed in a shooting spree across three homes in Clay County, Mississippi, on Friday, January 9, 2026.
Daricka Moore, 24, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, with charges expected to be upgraded to capital murder, Sheriff Eddie Scott confirmed. Moore was taken into custody without incident after 3 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Pine Grove Road and Joe Myers Road, where he was found in a second stolen vehicle.
The violence began around 7:00 p.m. local time Friday at a residence on David Hill Road, where Moore allegedly shot and killed three members of his own family. The victims were identified as his father, Glenn Moore, 67, his uncle, Willie Guines, 55, and his brother, Quinten Moore, 33. All three men were shot in the head.
After the initial killings, Moore stole his brother’s pickup truck, a Ford F-150, and drove to a second location on Blake Road. There, he forced his way into a home where three children and their mother were present. Moore attempted sexual battery while armed with a handgun, then shot and killed 7-year-old Mikiylia Guines, his second cousin, in front of witnesses. The child was shot in the head.
During the assault at the Blake Road residence, Moore placed a weapon to the head of another child in the home.
Moore then fled in the stolen truck to a third location on Siloam-Griffith Road. Deputies responding to a 911 call discovered the stolen pickup truck hidden behind the house. Inside the residence, they found two more victims.
The victims at the third location were identified as Barry Bradley and Samuel Bradley, both from Columbus. Both men had been shot in the head. One of the Bradleys was a pastor.
Law enforcement agencies involved in the search and arrest included the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals and other local agencies.
On Monday, January 12, 2026, Moore appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was given no bond and was ordered to have a mental evaluation.
District Attorney Scott Colom indicated that prosecutors will seek the death penalty if Moore is found eligible.
The mass shooting has shaken the community in Clay County. Sheriff Scott described the case as one of the toughest his department has worked. Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the killings.
The shooting represents one of the deadliest mass casualty incidents in recent Mississippi history. The combination of multiple locations, family victims, and the young age of one victim has drawn particular attention from state and local law enforcement agencies.
The decision to upgrade charges from first-degree murder to capital murder reflects the severity of the allegations and the number of victims involved. Moore’s court-ordered mental evaluation will likely play a significant role in determining how the case proceeds.
The investigation remains active as investigators continue interviewing witnesses and examining the sequence of events that unfolded Friday night.
The case has drawn attention from multiple state agencies, reflecting both the complexity of the multi-location crime scenes and the serious nature of the charges.
As the community processes the tragedy, questions remain about what could have driven Moore to allegedly commit such violence against his own family members. The involvement of a young child among the victims has particularly devastated the Clay County community.
