A U.S. Army soldier allegedly chased his wife while driving his pickup truck, followed her into a shopping center business, killed her, and then died by suicide. Authorities in Hinesville, Georgia, did not identify the couple, pending next-of-kin notification.
The incident occurred on Friday, investigators said.
“Earlier today the Hinesville Police Department, along with law enforcement officers from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, and the Ft Stewart Military Police/CID responded to the Liberty Square Shopping Center due to reports of an active shooter/hostage situation inside Lendmark Financial Services LLC,” cops said. “Businesses immediately adjacent to Lendmark were evacuated and others were locked down. Access to the shopping center was restricted until law enforcement could assess potential threats.”
Liberty County authorities breached the Lendmark Financial Services, only to find the couple dead from gunshot wounds.
“The two individuals appeared to have been involved in an ongoing domestic dispute,” officers said.
Authorities said there is no known ongoing danger to the community from this incident.
A man in a pickup truck chased a woman driving another vehicle, a witness said, according to WTOC. The woman parked at the Liberty Square Shopping Center and ran into a business. All the while, the man chased her, firing shots, the witness said.
The husband was a soldier in the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division.
“We are aware that two people died in a shooting in Hinesville,” the nearby Fort Stewart said in a statement, according to WTOC. “We are terribly saddened by this tragic incident and can confirm that one of those who died was a 3rd Infantry Division Soldier. The Soldier’s name will not be released or confirmed until next of kin notification is complete.”
The shopping center was blocked off and shoppers moved to the edges of the parking lot during the law enforcement response.
“We moved them back as far as we felt that we could safely provide cover for them and directed them behind cover, and then began the evacuation of all the other businesses,” Hinesville Assistant Chief Tracey Howard said. “All happened simultaneously and that was largely to this large, great effort of local law enforcement.”
Apparent employees at the Lendmark declined to comment to the outlet. WTOC described them hugging and crying at the scene.
The alleged motive was initially unclear.
Rick Faircloth, owner of Pro Feet shoe and clothing store several doors down from the Lendmark, told WTGS’ Destiny Wiggins the husband was a customer for his business and shopped there the day before.
“Was he thinking about this yesterday when he was in here?” Faircloth said. “Or was this [an] all-of-a-sudden thing? No one knows right now, I guess.”
[Screenshot via WSAV]