On a quiet Saturday morning, May 15, 2021, the life of 87-year-old Lois Katherine Catte Hicks, a female, came to a tragic and violent end in her Fort Smith, Arkansas, apartment. A resident of the Three Corners Townhouses complex, she was a kind and friendly soul, known to be a welcoming presence in her community. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 14, 1933, she was a mother, grandmother to eight, and great-grandmother to fifteen, and a member of the Faith United Methodist Church.
The
morning's peace was shattered around 7:30 a.m. when a fellow resident, 26-year-old Zachary Arnold, began shouting for everyone to exit the building. Hearing the commotion, Lois Hicks opened her door but, upon seeing Arnold armed with a semi-automatic rifle, she quickly tried to retreat into her apartment. Arnold, however, pursued her and forced his way inside, where he shot her multiple times. The attack was sudden and brutal, leaving no chance for escape. Lois Hicks was pronounced dead inside her home.
Following the shooting of Hicks, Arnold continued his rampage, firing his weapon at neighboring apartments, creating a scene of terror and chaos. The deadly situation was brought to an end not by law enforcement, but by the courageous actions of an unnamed neighbor. Hearing the gunshots, the neighbor retrieved a hunting rifle and confronted Arnold, fatally shooting him. Authorities later confirmed that Arnold was a veteran who had been taking medication for PTSD and had recently stopped his treatment. His family had received unsettling messages from him prior to the incident.
In the aftermath, the county prosecutor determined that the neighbor who shot Arnold was justified in their actions, concluding that their intervention likely prevented further loss of life. As there was no surviving suspect, no arrests were made in the death of Lois Hicks. She was remembered by her family and community as a sweet soul who didn't know a stranger and was preceded in death by her husband, Gilbert, and their son, Greg.
