Arkansas State Police takes lead in investigating Woodruff County home invasion attack that left one dead
The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division has taken the lead in a homicide and battery case after a shooting on Saturday left one person dead and two others hospitalized, according to an official release issued Monday.
Woodruff County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a residence in the 300 block of Susie Avenue in Cotton Plant on August 1 and found two people suffering from gunshot wounds: Omari Chapple, 20, and Talisha Chapple, 40, both of Woodruff County.
Omari Chapple was transported by ambulance to Unity Health – White County Medical Center in Searcy, where he later died from his injuries. Talisha Chapple was airlifted to Regional One Health in Memphis and is listed in stable condition.
Deputies later determined that a third person, Annisia Atkins, 22, of Cotton Plant, had also been shot during the incident. She was taken by private vehicle to Forrest City Medical Center and then airlifted to Regional One Health in Memphis, where she remains in critical condition.
The Woodruff County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division because of the seriousness of the case. In many rural Arkansas counties, local agencies routinely call on the state police for major violent crime investigations that require specialized resources, forensic support, and additional investigators.
Authorities have released no information about a suspect, a possible motive, or the circumstances that led to the shooting. The investigation remains active, and officials stated that no further details would be released at this time.
Cotton Plant, a small community in Woodruff County in the Arkansas Delta, has a population of fewer than 1,000 residents. Incidents of this scale are uncommon in the area and typically draw significant attention from both local and state law enforcement.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the Arkansas State Police or the Woodruff County Sheriff’s Office. Tips can often be submitted anonymously through established crime-reporting channels.rrests announced.
