Locals, employees celebrate reopening of Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce after mass shooting

FORDYCE, Ark. –  A grocery store in Fordyce is back open for business and taking care of the community after a deadly mass shooting shocked the town more than a week ago.

As streams of customers and tears filled The Mad Butcher Grocery Store in Fordyce on Tuesday, workers welcomed back many familiar faces after the June 21 shooting took the lives of four people and injured 10 others.

“The Mad Butcher is the heart of the town and that shooter could not kill it, it’s still beating,” customer Betsy Meador said.

Many of the staff and people in the community, including those who lost their loved ones, wore shirts that said “Fordyce Strong” on them.

Attorney General Tim Griffin said his office came to show their support for the community and be there for the ones who were families of the victims.

“There’s a certain amount of healing that comes with retaking this ground that’s so interwoven into the people’s lives here in the community,” Griffin said.

Store representatives say they will have limited hours working with food pantries to get produce. Law enforcement could also be seen around the store on reopening day.

Employee Ryan Taylor said he was supposed to be working on the day of the shooting but was running late.

“It was tragic,” Taylor said. “I feel really bad about the loss of the people and they were people I knew really well and it really hurts to have lost them.”

Taylor said he was grateful to see some familiar faces once again.

“I was very happy to see everyone back with a smile, talking with each other and the community, just being strong together again,” Taylor said.

The grocery store is the only one in this small town and to many it’s a necessity. John MacNichol said the closest grocery store out of town is 30 miles away.

“If we lost our grocery store it would have been really tough,” MacNichol said.

Many people say those who lost their lives or were injured will never be forgotten because they are carrying their memory, reminding themselves that they’re Fordyce Strong.

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