Church Massacre, Six People KILLED Including Pastor

Close-up of police lights flashing in blue and red at night

A 24-year-old man executed his own father, brother, uncle, and 7-year-old cousin before killing a pastor and his brother in a methodical rampage across rural Mississippi that has prosecutors seeking the death penalty.

Story Highlights

Daricka M. Moore killed six people across three locations in Clay County, Mississippi, on Friday night
Four victims were Moore’s direct family members, including a 7-year-old girl he allegedly attempted to sexually assault before murdering
The rampage ended at a church where Moore killed the pastor and his brother before stealing their vehicle
Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty as Moore faces capital murder charges

Family Annihilation Turns Into Community Terror

The carnage began Friday evening at a mobile home on a dirt road in western Clay County, where Moore allegedly shot and killed his father Glenn Moore, 67, his brother Quinton Moore, 33, and his uncle Willie Ed Guines, 55. Sheriff Eddie Scott described the scene as “about as bad as it gets” when addressing reporters Saturday morning.

Moore then stole his brother’s truck and drove to a cousin’s house several miles away. There, authorities say he forced his way inside and attempted to commit sexual battery before placing a gun to the head of his 7-year-old cousin and pulling the trigger. Witnesses reported Moore then put the gun to another young child’s head, though investigators remain unclear whether the trigger failed to fire or Moore chose not to shoot.

Death Comes to the Church Grounds

The final stop in Moore’s rampage was the Apostolic Church of the Lord Jesus, a small white-frame church where some Moore family members worshiped. Moore broke into a residence on the church grounds and killed Rev. Barry Bradley and his brother Samuel Bradley, who lived there on weekends while serving the congregation.

The choice of targets reveals the intimate nature of this massacre. Moore systematically eliminated family members across generations before turning his violence toward the spiritual figures who ministered to his own relatives. This wasn’t random community violence but a deliberate destruction of his personal world.

Swift Justice in Rural Mississippi

Law enforcement flooded northeastern Mississippi with officers from multiple agencies, setting up roadblocks within hours of the first 911 call. Moore was arrested at 11:24 p.m. near Cedarbluff, Mississippi, approximately four and a half hours after the killings began. Officers found him in possession of a rifle and handgun.

District Attorney Scott Colom wasted no time signaling his intent to seek the death penalty, calling it “the right thing to do” in this case. Moore currently faces murder charges that prosecutors expect to upgrade to capital murder, making him ineligible for bail under Mississippi law. The methodical nature of the crimes across multiple scenes, combined with the attempted sexual assault of a child, creates a textbook case for capital punishment.

Questions Without Answers

Perhaps most disturbing is what investigators don’t know. Authorities admit they have no clear motive for why Moore chose to annihilate his family and terrorize his faith community. Sheriff Scott expressed the bewilderment many feel when family bonds turn deadly, noting the emotional dissonance of “a family member attacking their own family.”

The state medical examiner continues conducting autopsies while investigators interview Moore and trace the source of his weapons. Clay County, historically a low-crime rural area near the Alabama border, now faces the reality that evil can emerge from within the most trusted relationships. Moore’s initial court appearance is scheduled for Monday, where he’ll be assigned a public defender for what promises to be Mississippi’s most closely watched capital murder case in years.