Daricka M. Moore and the 2026 Clay County Mass Killing
Overview of the Case
Daricka M. Moore, a 24-year-old resident of Clay County, Mississippi, was accused of killing six people during a series of shootings on January 9, 2026. The violence unfolded at three locations in the rural Cedarbluff community west of West Point. The victims included Moore’s father, brother, uncle, seven-year-old cousin, a church pastor and the pastor’s brother.
Authorities described the case as an exceptionally violent family-centered rampage. Investigators said witnesses and physical evidence indicated that Moore acted alone. The shootings began shortly before 7:00 p.m. and continued for several hours as Moore allegedly traveled between family residences and church property in stolen vehicles.
Moore was captured at a law-enforcement roadblock at approximately 11:24 p.m., about four and a half hours after the first emergency call. He was taken into custody without further bloodshed and transported to the Clay County jail in West Point.
The First Shooting Scene
Investigators believe the violence began at the Moore family’s mobile home on David Hill Road in western Clay County. Moore allegedly used a firearm to kill three adult relatives inside or around the residence. The victims were his 67-year-old father, Glenn Moore; his 33-year-old brother, Quinten Moore; and his 55-year-old uncle, Willie Ed Guines.
All three men were reported to have suffered gunshot wounds to the head. After the killings, Moore allegedly stole his brother’s Ford F-150 pickup truck and left the property. The deaths of three members of one family immediately turned the residence into the first of several interconnected crime scenes.
Investigators did not publicly identify a dispute or confrontation that clearly explained why Moore allegedly attacked his relatives. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said the family was overwhelmed by grief and that meaningful conversations with surviving relatives were difficult during the first hours of the investigation.
The Killing of Mikylia Guines
After leaving the family home, Moore allegedly drove several miles to a cousin’s residence on Blake Road. Authorities said he forced his way into the home while several people, including children, were present.
Moore was accused of attempting to commit sexual battery inside the residence. He then allegedly placed a gun against the head of seven-year-old Mikylia Guines, a young relative, and fatally shot her. Witnesses reportedly saw the attack, making this portion of the case especially disturbing to investigators and the surrounding community.
According to Sheriff Scott, Moore also placed a firearm against the head of an even younger child. That child was not shot. Investigators initially could not determine whether Moore chose not to fire or whether the weapon malfunctioned. The child’s survival represented one of the few moments in the rampage that did not end in another death.
The Church Property Killings
Moore allegedly continued to a third location associated with the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus on Siloam-Griffith Road. The small church and an adjoining residence were used by the Reverend Barry Bradley and his brother, Samuel Bradley.
Authorities said Moore broke into the residence and fatally shot both brothers. Reverend Bradley served as the church’s pastor. He and Samuel reportedly lived primarily in nearby Columbus but stayed on the church grounds during weekends. Members of the Moore family were said to have attended the church.
After killing the Bradley brothers, Moore allegedly abandoned the first stolen truck and stole another vehicle from the church property. Investigators recovered the truck at that scene, further connecting the locations and allowing officers to reconstruct Moore’s movements during the night.
Victims
- Glenn Moore, 67 — Daricka Moore’s father. He was killed on January 9, 2026, at the family mobile home on David Hill Road in western Clay County, Mississippi.
- Quinten Moore, 33 — Daricka Moore’s brother. He was killed on January 9, 2026, at the David Hill Road residence. Authorities said Daricka Moore later stole his pickup truck.
- Willie Ed Guines, 55 — Daricka Moore’s uncle. He was killed with Glenn and Quinten Moore at the family residence on January 9, 2026.
- Mikylia Guines, 7 — A young cousin of Daricka Moore. She was fatally shot on January 9, 2026, inside a relative’s residence on Blake Road in the Cedarbluff area of Clay County.
- Reverend Barry Bradley — Pastor of the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus. He was killed on January 9, 2026, at a residence on church property along Siloam-Griffith Road.
- Samuel Bradley — Brother of Reverend Barry Bradley. He was killed alongside his brother on January 9, 2026, at the church residence in Clay County.
The Search and Arrest
The discovery of victims at several locations prompted a large response involving local deputies, Mississippi state authorities and federal law-enforcement personnel. Officers established roadblocks and searched the Cedarbluff area while investigators worked to determine whether more than one attacker was involved.
Moore was stopped near the area of the second shooting shortly before midnight. Authorities said he had access to a rifle and a handgun. Investigators began examining where the weapons came from and whether they had been legally obtained.
Sheriff Scott said the available evidence indicated that Moore was the only shooter and that no other people had been physically injured. The surviving children and adults who witnessed parts of the rampage became important sources of information for investigators.
Charges and Court Proceedings
Moore was initially arrested on a first-degree murder charge while authorities continued processing the multiple crime scenes. Prosecutors later filed a total of 11 felony charges, including capital murder, first-degree murder, murder of a child, attempted murder of a child, attempted sexual battery, burglary and motor-vehicle theft.
On January 12, 2026, Moore appeared in Clay County Circuit Court and entered not-guilty pleas. Because the case included capital-murder charges, he was ordered held without bail. Circuit Judge Jim Kitchens appointed attorney Clarissa Harris to represent him and ordered that Moore undergo a mental-health evaluation.
Prosecutors announced their intention to upgrade additional murder counts to capital murder. District Attorney Scott Colom also stated that his office intended to seek the death penalty. No trial date had been set during the initial stage of the proceedings.
Motive and Continuing Investigation
Authorities did not immediately establish a motive for the killings. Investigators interviewed Moore, surviving relatives and witnesses while examining the relationships among the victims and the accused. The fact that four of the victims were Moore’s relatives caused investigators to focus closely on the family’s history and any events that may have preceded the attack.
Law-enforcement officials emphasized that Moore had not been convicted and that the allegations would have to be proved in court. His not-guilty pleas and court-ordered mental evaluation meant that questions about his mental condition, criminal responsibility and ability to stand trial were likely to become important parts of the legal proceedings.
Autopsies were assigned to the Mississippi state medical examiner. Firearms, vehicles, witness accounts and evidence collected from each residence were expected to be compared as prosecutors constructed a detailed timeline of the shootings.
Impact on Clay County
The killings devastated the Cedarbluff and West Point communities. Six people had been killed in one evening, including a child, three members of the same immediate family and two brothers connected to a local church. The overlapping family and religious relationships meant that many residents personally knew several victims as well as the accused man.
Officials described the case as one of the worst acts of violence they had encountered during their careers. Community members gathered around the surviving families, offering prayer, emotional support and assistance as funeral arrangements were made and the legal process began.
The case remains defined by the speed with which the violence spread from one home to another. What began at a family residence became a multi-scene killing investigation involving six deaths, surviving child witnesses, stolen vehicles and the possibility of a death-penalty prosecution. Until the criminal proceedings are completed, Daricka M. Moore remains accused, rather than convicted, of carrying out the January 9, 2026, Clay County mass killing.
