Six people were killed in a series of shootings in the US state of Iowa on Monday, while the suspect died from a gunshot he shot himself during a confrontation with police, local authorities said.
Muscatine city police said in a statement that the murders took place at two homes and a commercial facility within the city, noting that four of the victims were found dead inside one home.
Authorities received reports of gunfire at around 12:12 p.m. local time, and when police arrived at a home, they found four people dead.
Police identified the suspect as 52-year-old Ryan Willis McFarland, a Muscatine resident, noting that he left the scene before security forces arrived.
During the investigation, investigators received information that there may have been other victims, before finding two additional men shot dead, one inside another home and the other at a nearby commercial facility.
Police confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing, as investigators continue to collect evidence from several locations and interview witnesses to uncover the circumstances of the incident.
Preliminary investigations
Initial investigations confirmed that the incident was the result of an internal family dispute, as rescue teams found four victims inside one house, then a fifth victim in another house, and a sixth inside a nearby metal workshop, and the Muscatine School announced that among the victims were two employees and two students from the McFarland family.
After the crimes, the gunman fled to a footpath on the banks of the Mississippi River, where police tried to negotiate with him, but he shot himself and died instantly, and authorities confirmed that the situation was under full control and there was no further threat to residents.
Provincial Police: Family Dispute
Officials and educational authorities in the city of Muscatine, Iowa, issued a series of preliminary statements condemning the massacre that killed 6 people from one family, stressing the shock the incident left on the local community.
In a statement, MP Erik Sorensen expressed his "shock and disgust" at what happened, calling for ways to resolve disputes away from weapons, and in the same context, Police Chief Anthony Case considered that the crime is fully classified as a sophisticated family dispute that extended to 3 different locations before the perpetrator ended his life, stressing that the situation is under control and there is no constant threat to the population.