WASHINGTON, Jun 17 (NNN-XINHUA) – Six people, including three children, were found dead, after shooting and fire, at a home in the U.S. state of Tennessee, media reported yesterday, citing authorities.
The apparent murder-suicide happened at 9.00 p.m. Thursday, local time, in the unincorporated area known as Sequatchie, reported WTVC-TV, a television station in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Police officers responded to a shooting at the residence only to find the house on fire, according to the report.
A seventh person was hospitalised in Chattanooga with a gunshot wound, the report added, citing the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Marion County Sheriff, Bo Burnett, told the news outlet that, “it’s a domestic situation, evidently that has been ongoing for a pretty good while.”
The remains of the deceased have been taken to Nashville, the capital city of Tennessee, for autopsies.
Burnett was quoted as saying by another local news outlet, Local 3 News, that, Gary Barnett, who is one of the three adults found dead, is believed to have been the shooter, who killed the other victims before taking his own life.
The two adult victims were identified as Regina Barnett and Britney Perez. Regina Barnett had got a restraining order against her estranged husband Gary, about a month ago, and Perez was visiting her mother Regina at the time of the incident, according to the report.
An arrest affidavit shows, the order of protection was issued, following Gary Barnett’s arrest in Dec, 2022, for a domestic assault charge over an incident involving his wife. The arrest report also shows that Regina Barnett told deputies that, her “soon to be ex-husband” Gary, threatened to shoot her and her dog and verbally abused her, Local 3 News reported.
The case against Gary Barnett was still pending with a possible court appearance coming up on July 5, the report added.
Officials said, an investigation into the rampage is ongoing.– NNN-XINHUA
