A suspect in Tennessee who allegedly killed four people and seriously injured a fifth victim while on a domestic violence rampage died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot while on the run, according to authorities.
Officers conducting a manhunt for Mavis Christian Jr, 52, found him dead in his car early on Sunday after shootings at three locations in Memphis on Saturday night that left three women and a teenage girl dead – another teen girl was critically wounded.
Local police began investigating the killing spree when a call about a shooting came into them about 9.20pm. Officers found a woman with an apparent gunshot wound who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later concluded there were two other connected fatal shootings. At the scene of one of those attacks, a woman and a 13-year-old girl were killed and a 15-year-old girl was critically wounded.
Another woman was found fatally shot at the other of the additional scenes, a police spokesperson said.
Officers suspected Christian was responsible for all three shootings and began a search involving local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Investigators said they also believed each of the shootings constituted domestic violence.
The violence blamed on Christian would have constituted a mass shooting had it occurred in a single location.
Figures from the nonpartisan Gun Violence Archive show there had been more than 605 mass shootings so far this year as of Sunday. That translates to a rate of nearly two mass shootings a day, which has led to calls for more meaningful gun control from some quarters.
The archive defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more victims are killed or wounded.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
