A suspect wanted for a double homicide in a rural area of Florida was discovered deceased inside his vehicle following a pursuit on Interstate 75.
Authorities from the Union County Sheriff’s Office were alerted to an incident in the western county area around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, where they discovered two women who had been fatally shot.
Details on how authorities identified the suspect remain unclear, but they reported that he fled the crime scene driving a black 2020 Ford F-150. Communication with the suspect was attempted via phone, though specifics of the conversation were not disclosed.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was engaged by the police to assist in the investigation, which is believed to be connected to a possible domestic dispute.
In an effort to locate the murder suspect and his vehicle, a deputy from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect’s vehicle and coordinated with additional deputies and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Officers attempted to stop the vehicle at approximately 5:30 p.m., but the suspect accelerated southward on the highway. A trooper executed a PIT maneuver, successfully bringing the vehicle to a halt on the highway’s west shoulder.
Officers ordered the driver out of the vehicle, but with no response “for an extended period of time,” they approached and found the driver dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The highway near Paynes Prairie was shut down for several hours during the chase and investigation, WCJB reported.
The investigation is still going on, and police said they would release the suspect’s name later.
