A shocking wave of violence left an Iowa community devastated Monday after police say a man killed six people in multiple locations before fatally shooting himself as officers closed in.
The deadly rampage unfolded June 1 in Muscatine, Iowa, after officers were called to a home on Park Avenue around 12:12 p.m. for what was initially reported as a domestic dispute.
What they found was far worse.
Muscatine Police Chief Anthony Kies said officers discovered four people shot to death inside the residence. As investigators began piecing together the scene, police learned the violence had not been limited to one home.
Authorities later found another adult man dead inside a residence on Mill Street. A sixth victim, also an adult man, was found dead inside a business on Grandview Avenue, according to police.
The suspect was identified as Ryan Willis McFarland. Police said he fled after the killings, sparking a search that ended near the riverfront trail by the pedestrian bridge.
Chief Kies said McFarland shot himself while being confronted by police. Emergency crews tried to save him, but he died at the scene.
“Today, I simply do not have the words,” Kies said during a grim press briefing. “This act of evil and what it has done to our community.”
The victims’ names have not yet been released publicly. Police said they believe all of the victims were related to McFarland, though authorities have not detailed the exact relationships.
Kies also said McFarland had a prior criminal record, but he did not release further details during the briefing.
As the investigation unfolded, Muscatine County Emergency Management urged residents on Facebook to avoid the riverfront and the river end side of Park Avenue because of the active investigation.
The Muscatine Police Department is now working alongside the Muscatine Fire Department, the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Lt. David O’Connor of the Muscatine Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit at 563-263-9922, extension 608.
Police said callers may remain anonymous.
The investigation remains active as the small Iowa community waits for answers about what led to the horrific killings.
