Richard Crum: Mississippi man who shot dead 6, including ex-wife, is charged with murder in the first
TATE, MISSISSIPPI: The Mississippi man, who went on a shooting rampage that killed six people, including his ex-wife and stepfather, had a history of 'mental illness' and "snapped" before the slaughter, according to authorities. Richard Crum, 52, has been charged with first-degree murder as investigators are working to bring additional charges, authorities said.
“He has been mentally ill his whole life,” a person close to Richard told the New York Post. As per the individual who requested anonymity, Crum was on disability and was taking medicine to keep his disease under control requested anonymity and did not describe the shooter's ailment.
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'He just finally snapped'
He added, “He just finally snapped,” adding, “Mental illness is a serious thing.” Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance said that Crum swept through the small rural town of Arkabutla on a bloody rampage Friday morning carrying a shotgun and two handguns.
'I lost my brother, and now this one'
Crum allegedly fired into the truck next to him after turning into a convenience store parking lot around 11 a.m, killing Chris Eugene Boyce, 59, of Lakeland, Florida, who was riding in the car with his brother, Doug. Dough escaped unharmed by running into nearby woods. Boyce’s aunt, Norma Washington, said that the brothers were visiting Mississippi to help fix up a property they had inherited from their late uncle. “I lost my brother, and now this one,” Washington said. “This has been something else.”
As deputies arrived at the store, the next 911 call came in from George Drane from his home on Bend Road, WMC reported. He had shot his 60-year-old ex-wife Debra. Drane’s head was wrapped in a bandage. “I wrestled with him and I lost, as you can see. But my wife lost more,” Drane said holding back tears. “We had just gotten home from the doctor. She’d had a stroke, but we had a good day at the doctor’s office. We ate some soup when we got home and we were going to go into town," he told the station.
Four more gunshot victims at the last crime scene
Deputies tracked Crum down to a third crime scene on Arkabutla Dam Road. “At the scene, there were four more gunshot victims, all deceased. Two victims were found in a house behind what turned out to be the suspect’s house,” Sheriff Lance said. The Tate County Coroner identified two of the victims as Crum’s step-father and step-father’s sister, and two handymen who were working out back. One was shot in the road, another was killed in an SUV, the outlet mentioned. Deputies found Crum inside a vehicle on Arkabutla Dam Road and he was taken into custody without incident.