FORDYCE, Ark. — The mass shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce has left community members to mourn in multiple ways.
The Mad Butcher will now be remembered as a place of tragedy, but before the shooting, the location served as the town's one and only grocery store option for people to find fresh produce.
Now there’s an effort to help fill the gap while the store is closed and to bring awareness to other options.
Heather Krost, a local farmers market manager, described Mad Butcher as the central grocery shopping location for the Fordyce community.
“Everyone relied on the store to provide fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Krost. “We had a lot of members in our community that walked there because they didn't even have transportation to get there.”
Meanwhile, Ronda Best, the Dallas County Extension agent with the University of Arkansas, said after the shooting, she immediately knew that without the Mad Butcher, people were in need of fresh items.
She quickly began working on bringing back some of what was lost.
"I asked the community if they wanted me to stop by on my way and pick up some things to bring to this area, and people were generous," Best added.
While noticing the effort needed to fill the gap in Fordyce, she mourned the only place to shop for fresh produce.
"The Mad Butcher is like a gathering place,” Best said. “It's where people get together, and they talk over the produce. So, losing that, even for a short amount of time, is very difficult for our community."
While the community stepped up to help her with initial donations, both Best and Krost want a local farmers market to be on the Fordyce community's radar.
The market can be found next to the Dallas County Courthouse on Monday through Saturday between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Best wants the community to know that they have a long-term option for fresh produce they can rely on.
“We should be accessing our local farmers,” Best said. “People do have options here, as far as getting food for their families.”
The mayor of Fordyce reports that the Mad Butcher is expected to re-open as early as Saturday, June 29, 2024.