MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — A tragic shooting in Muscatine on Monday killed six people. Authorities believe the event was carried out by a relative of the victims and the suspected shooter, 52‑year‑old Ryan Willis McFarland, later died by suicide.
Superintendent Clint Christopher of the Muscatine Community School District confirmed that two of the deceased were students, though he withheld their names, ages, and class years. He also revealed that another two victims were school district employees. The victims' identities will be announced at a community vigil scheduled for Tuesday evening.
Police say they found McFarland on a city trail, and he took his own life when confronted. Two other men, also believed to be relatives, were found fatally shot at different locations in the city, one in a home and another in a business.
The police have confirmed that McFarland had a prior criminal record, but details have not been released.
Mass killings — defined as four or more deaths in a 24‑hour period excluding the killer — have risen to 13 across the United States this year. The Iowa incident is the sixth family mass killing so far this year, according to criminologist James Alan Fox.
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