A gunman shot dead six people believed to be his own family before turning the weapon on himself, police in Iowa have said.
Cops said the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at midday Monday, after killing four people at a home in Muscatine and two more men at separate addresses in the same city.
Muscatine Police Chief Anthony Kies said he did “not have the words” to describe “this act of evil and what it has done to our community”.
The 52-year-old suspect, Ryan Willis McFarland of Muscatine, left a home on 210 Park Avenue after allegedly shooting four of the victims.
Officers found him on a riverfront trail where he was apprehended by police who tried to speak to him, before he shot himself.
“While talking to Ryan Willis McFarland, he took his own life,” Kies told a news conference, according to ABC News. “Officers and EMS personnel rendered aid. However, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Police afterwards responded to information of more shootings at 1509 Mill Street and 808 Grandview Avenue, where they found the fifth and sixth victims – both adult men.
Early investigations suggest the shooting “stemmed from a domestic dispute”, the Muscatine Police Department said in a statement on Facebook.
“At this time, all victims are believed to be family members of the deceased suspect. The investigation remains active and ongoing,” it added.
The identities of the victims are currently unknown, and police did not provide their ages.
Kies revealed the suspect has a criminal record, but did not elaborate. He added that there is “no active threat” to the local community.
Following the first reports of the shooting, Muscatine authorities urged the public at around 12:46 p.m. to “avoid the area of the riverfront and the river end side of Park ave due to an active investigation”.
The Mayor of Muscatine, Brad Bark, wrote on Facebook: “Our hearts are heavy tonight after the tragic shootings that claimed innocent lives.
“To the family members who lost their loved ones today, we lift you up in prayer.”
Muscatine is a city of more than 23,000 situated on the Mississippi River on Iowa’s southeastern border with Illinois. It is around 50km west of Davenport and 250km east of the Iowa capital of Des Moines.
