In a tragic incident in Mississippi, a gunmaker and his wife were fatally shot by a family member following a longstanding feud over land, as disclosed by local authorities.
Walter Earnest Birdsong Jr., aged 62, along with his wife Amanda Lynn Birdsong, 43, were tragically killed by Kurt Birdsong at their home in Florence on Friday afternoon, according to police statements reported by WLBT.
The fatal encounter was the culmination of nearly ten years of tension, with Kurt, 56, asserting that he was deprived of a parcel of land that he believed his late father had promised him.
Armed with at least two firearms, Kurt forced his way into the residence of Walter and Amanda, proceeding to shoot them multiple times, as reported by Tide News.
Following the attack, Kurt secluded himself in a bathroom, where, after a tense three-hour standoff with law enforcement, he was discovered deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The individual who contacted 911 to report the shooting confirmed to officers that the shooter had remained on the premises.
Cops swooped on the Birdsong’s home within eight minutes and tried to convince Kurt to surrender – but their attempts proved futile despite the best efforts of hostage negotiators.
Walter was the son of the founder of the firearms business W.E. Birdsong & Associates and Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey requested bomb squad assistance because of the family’s profession.
“We had credible concerns about explosive materials that might be stored on site for coating or manufacturing processes,” he told reporters Saturday.
Cops rammed down the front door – before taking down the bathroom door where they found Kurt was dead.
Kurt had been at war with Walter and his family for at least seven years before the tragedy.
In 2019, he claimed a 14-acre piece of land had been moved to a third party without consent, according to court docs seen by Tide News.
Kurt claimed it had been promised to him by his father, who died in 2015, but the judge ruled against him – as there was no written contract.
After the ruling, Kurt became more erratic — with neighbors recalling family bust-ups.
“You’d hear yelling, sometimes, late at night,” one alleged.
But, Amanda played a role in trying to mediate disputes, another neighbor said.
“She was always the one trying to get everyone to sit down and talk,” they added.
The Birdsong family has said they are “heartbroken beyond words.”
“We ask that you respect our grief as we bury Walter, Amanda and even Kurt – despite what he did, he was still family,” they said. “The land that was meant to us has torn us apart.”
Investigators are combing through Kurt’s cellphone for a potential manifesto linked to the shooting.
