In a series of tragic events that occurred in Memphis, Tennessee, a man went on a shooting spree that killed four people and wounded a child. The suspect in the shootings was found dead of an apparent suicide.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, shook the local community.
A suspect in Tennessee died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while on the run Sunday after a series of shootings that killed four of his female relatives and seriously injured a fifth person, police said.
Officers found the body of Mavis Christian Jr., 52, in his car during a manhunt following shootings at three locations in Memphis that left three women and a teenage girl dead and a teenage girl critically wounded, the Memphis Police Department said.
Police said Christian was related to the victims but could not immediately specify how they were related. The names of the victims have not yet been released.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic and senseless shootings on Saturday ... resulting in the deaths of four innocent family members and a fifth victim critically injured,” the police department said in a statement posted on social media. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their loved ones as our community grieves more lives taken by domestic violence.”
MPD Media Statement regarding the shootings at
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) November 19, 2023
196 Howard Drive, 5050 Warrington Road, and 3636 Field Lark Drive. pic.twitter.com/yYRJF6STXp
The Memphis Police Department reported that the first shooting occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m., where two girls and a woman had been shot. One girl and the woman were pronounced dead at the scene, and the other girl was transported to a nearby hotel in critical condition.
About an hour later, another shooting was reported. In this shooting, one woman was found dead from a gunshot wound.
The third shooting was believed to have taken place just before 9:30 p.m. where yet another woman died.
The authorities managed to connect the dots and identified Christian Jr. as the suspect. He was considered to be armed and extremely dangerous as the manhunt continued throughout the night. The search for the suspect involved local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Preliminary information led investigators to believe the shootings were a result of a domestic violence incident. The suspect had fled each scene in a white Chevrolet Malibu.
The manhunt ended early Sunday at about 3:30 a.m. when Christian Jr. was found deceased in his vehicle from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This occurred after law enforcement spent hours trying to apprehend him. The full details surrounding these tragedies have not yet been revealed, but more information might emerge over the next few days.
The investigation into the series of tragic shootings remains ongoing as the authorities work to comprehend the full scope and motivation behind the attacks. The Memphis community has been left to grapple with the aftermath of the suspect’s actions and a reminder that domestic violence situations can often lead to deadly consequences.
If the story gets more coverage on a national scale, which is unlikely given the circumstances, it could bring about another debate over gun control considering the murderer’s choice of weapons.
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