MUSCATINE, IA — Six people were killed Monday in a shooting spree across multiple locations in Muscatine after police said an apparent domestic dispute turned deadly. Authorities said the suspected gunman later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after officers found him near the Mississippi River trail.
Muscatine Police Chief Anthony Kies called the violence an “act of evil” during a Monday briefing and said investigators are still working through the sequence of events. Police said the shootings happened at two homes and a business, and that the victims are believed to be family members of the suspect.
Police say the violence began at one home and spread to other locations
Police said the first call came in around 12:12 p.m. Monday. When first responders arrived at a home, they found four people dead at the scene.
The suspect, identified as 52-year-old Ryan Willis McFarland of Muscatine, had already left the residence before police got there, according to investigators. Detectives later learned there may have been more victims and expanded the search beyond the first address.
That wider investigation led officers to two more men who had been shot, one found at another home and the other at a nearby business. Authorities said the killings occurred at separate locations across the city, making the case a broader series of homicides rather than a single scene.
Officers found the suspect near the Mississippi River trail
Police said officers located McFarland nearby on a trail along the Mississippi River. While they were speaking with him, he took his own life, according to Chief Kies.
Officers and emergency medical personnel tried to help him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Kies did not say how police first connected McFarland to the shootings, but he described the confrontation as unfolding shortly after the early stages of the investigation. Authorities said there is no active threat to the community.
Investigators say the shootings appear tied to a domestic-related dispute
The Muscatine Police Department said preliminary findings indicate the killings stemmed from a domestic-related dispute. Police also said all of the victims are believed to have been family members of the suspect.
Officials have not released the names or ages of the victims. They also have not said which of the victims were found at the home, which were found at the business, or what relationship each person had to McFarland.
The department said the homicides remain under investigation. Police have also not detailed what led up to the dispute or how long the violence may have lasted before the first 911 call.
Chief Anthony Kies says the community has been shaken by the killings
At Monday’s briefing, Kies said he did not have words to describe the scene and the impact on the city. He called it an act of evil and said the violence had affected the entire community.
His comments reflected the shock of a case that involved several deaths, multiple locations and what police believe was a family-related conflict. Even with the suspect dead, investigators are still piecing together the timeline and relationship between the victims and McFarland.
Police said McFarland had a criminal record, though Kies did not provide details about that history. Beyond that, authorities have released little information about the suspect’s background.
How police and crisis services are responding after the shootings
With the suspect dead and no continuing threat identified, the immediate public safety concern has eased. Still, police said detectives are continuing to gather evidence and interview witnesses as they work to understand the full scope of the killings.
The department’s public statements also included crisis resources for people affected by violence or in emotional distress. Officials pointed to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which offers free help by call or text 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Police also referenced the national domestic violence hotline as another option for people seeking help. The inclusion of those resources underscored the domestic nature of the case and the broader impact such incidents can have beyond the crime scene.
