Five people died of gunshot wounds on Saturday in eastern Kentucky during what Johnson County sheriff Dwayne Price described as a "murder spree." Price also spoke about the murders in a Facebook post addressing the community.
Authorities responded to reports of a shooting at around 3:30 pm, which led them to the bodies of two victims in the kitchen of a home. The body of the suspected shooter, Joseph Nickell, and two other bodies were found in an apartment about seven miles away from the Johnson County home following a 911 call. Nickell's identity and a description of the car he left in was identified by a witness.
Sheriff Dwayne Price said, "This has been a horrific murder spree. The lives of four innocent victims were taken." Price also said that Nickell committed suicide. Price will not be releasing the names of the victims until their families are notified, and authorities are still investigating the circumstances behind the murder.
"There are no words to describe the heartbreak in seeing four lives taken due to the actions of one man. I have worked in law enforcement for 34 years. This is one of the most disturbing acts of violence I have ever seen," Price said.
