Arkabutla, Mississippi

Arkabutla is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Tate County, Mississippi, United States. Arkabutla is located approximately 9 miles (14 km) west of Coldwater and approximately 9 miles (14 km) north of Strayhorn. It also lies approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the dam at Arkabutla Lake. Although an unincorporated community, it has a post office and a zip code of 38602.

Arkabutla, Mississippi
Census-designated place
Arkabutla, Mississippi Show map of Mississippi Arkabutla, Mississippi Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 34°42′00″N 90°07′32″W
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Tate
Area [1]
• Total	4.03 sq mi (10.45 km2)
• Land	4.03 sq mi (10.45 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	282 ft (86 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	285
• Density	70.67/sq mi (27.29/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	38602
Area code	662
GNIS feature ID	2806379[2]

The community derives its name from Arkabutla Creek.^[3]

Per the 2020 Census, the population was 285.^[4]

History

2023 shooting spree

Main article: 2023 Arkabutla shootings

On February 17, 2023, six people were killed and a seventh person injured in a shooting spree at three homes and a convenience store in Arkabutla. The sole suspect, identified as 52-year-old Richard Dale Crum, was arrested by police at one of the homes, and he was charged with first-degree murder. One of the deceased victims was Crum's ex-wife.^[5][6]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	285		—
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 2020[8]

2020 census

Arkabutla CDP, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2020[8]	% 2020
White alone (NH)	237	83.16%
Black or African American alone (NH)	27	9.47%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	2	0.70%
Asian alone (NH)	0	0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	1	0.35%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	13	4.56%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5	1.75%
Total	285	100.00%

Education

It is in the Tate County School District.^[9]

Notable person

• James Earl Jones (1931–2024), actor