19 November 2023 , 17:35
1109
0
An evil gunman who murdered three women and a teenage girl in a vicious killing spree last night has been revealed to be a relative of all four of the victims, as harrowing details emerge.
Mavis Christian Jr. carried out three separate gun attacks over four hours in three separate locations across Memphis, Tennessee last night which left three women and one 13-year-old girl dead. One 15-year-old girl was also critically wounded in the attack. Police have since revealed Mavis targeted his female relatives in what they called a 'domestic violence' spree, and said he was found dead in a car, having shot himself.
Law enforcement confirmed that they found the body of Christian, 52, on Sunday morning and he had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Memphis Police Department said that based on preliminary information that they have available to them, the shooting attacks were likely the result of a domestic violence dispute. The identities of the victims have not yet been made public but it is understood they are all relatives of Christian.
READ MORE: New Hampshire hospital shooter who murdered guard is named as terrifying items left behind
Police released this doorbell footage of Christian
This photo released by Memphis Police Department on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, shows shooting suspect Mavis Christian Jr. (AP)The three separate incidents are said to have taken place across Saturday. Police were called to 100 Block of Howard Drive at 9.22pm where officers found one woman dead. They also were able to link Christian to a shooting earlier that day which left one woman and a teenager girl dead. There is evidence to suggest Christian is also linked to a shooting on Warrington Road that left another woman dead earlier that day.
Double killer who slit girlfriend's throat within weeks of release jailed
Police at the scene on Saturday (WREG News Channel3)Memphis Police said in a statement: "On November 19, 2023 at 3:31 a.m., officers located who is believed to be the suspect, Mavis Christian Jr., inside the white Chevrolet Malibu in the 3000 Block of Alta Road, suffering from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene."
Christian is said to be a relative of the victims. Officers said: "Preliminary information indicates this was a domestic violence incident, and the suspect is a known relative who fled each scene in a white 2017 Chevrolet Malibu."
Police at the scene of one of the shootings on Saturday (WREG News Channel3)A massive manhunt was launched to locate Christian following the shootings. His body was found in the same car he fled in. Authorities said: "Through the collaborative effort between law enforcement, the community, and the media, the suspect was located quickly without the additional loss of lives."
Globally, women are far more likely to be killed by a man they know compared to a stranger. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11,000 women were killed with a gun between 2015 and 2019 in the USA. Every month, an average of 57 women are killed with a gun by an intimate partner, according to CAP. According to CAP, firearms are used in intimate partner violence more than any other weapon.