Seven Dead in Apparent Eastern Iowa Family Murder-Suicide

An Eastern Iowa man is believed to have killed six members of his family before taking his own life on Monday afternoon.

Authorities Believe the Shooting Was a Domestic Dispute

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that multiple incidents took place in and around the city of Muscatine on Monday, around 70 miles southeast of Cedar Rapids. The town of 23,000 residents is shocked and saddened.

The Gazette reports that police were called to 210 Park Avenue just after noon on Monday for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, police found four people dead from gunshot wounds. The suspect in the shooting, 52-year-old Ryan Willis McFarland, had left the scene prior to police arriving. According to the Gazette, McFarland was later found by authorities on a riverfront trail with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He died at the scene.

Multiple Victims Found at Other Crime Scenes

As the investigation continues, the Gazette reports that there appear to be other victims at different crime scenes. Officers reportedly found a man with a gunshot wound inside a home at 1509 Mill Street. Another man was found dead inside a business at 808 Grandview Avenue.

The Gazette reports that all the victims appear to be members of the McFarland family, and that the incident appears to have started from a domestic dispute.