A suspected gunman shot and killed six people across a small east-central Iowa city before authorities found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
On June 1, the Muscatine Police Department issued a news release stating it was “actively investigating a series of homicides” at multiple locations throughout the city. Muscatine, Iowa — home to more than 23,000 residents — sits along the Mississippi River roughly 67 miles southeast of Cedar Rapids.
“Today, I simply do not have the words − this act of evil and what it has done to our community,” Muscatine Police Chief Anthony Kies said at a brief news conference. He confirmed there was no “active threat” to the community.
After a shooting report came in, officers and emergency medical personnel arrived at a residence and found four people dead. As detectives dug deeper into the preliminary investigation, they determined additional victims may exist, and officers subsequently discovered two men dead at separate locations.
Police also located the suspect — 52-year-old Ryan Willis McFarland — near the first residence on a trail along the Mississippi River.
“Preliminary findings indicate the shootings stemmed from a domestic-related dispute,” the Muscatine Police Department said in the news release. “All victims are believed to be family members of the deceased suspect.”
Chief Kies said the Muscatine Fire Department, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are all assisting local police in the investigation. He noted that investigators were still processing crime scenes and interviewing witnesses.
The Muscatine Police Department asked anyone with information about the shootings to contact its Major Crimes Unit.
Bodies found in 3 locations along the Mississippi River
At approximately 12:12 p.m. local time on June 1, the Muscatine County Joint Communications Center received a shooting report at a residence near the Mississippi River. Officers responded and found four people with gunshot wounds, all of whom were pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the shooting report, the Muscatine County 911 Center and Muscatine County Emergency Management asked the public at around 12:46 p.m. local time to stay away from “the area of the riverfront and the river end side” of Park Avenue due to an active investigation.
McFarland had left the residence before officers arrived, police said. Officers later found him on the Riverfront Trail near the pedestrian bridge.
“He was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” police said in the news release. “Officers and EMS personnel provided medical aid, but he was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Further investigation suggested there may have been additional victims connected to the case, police said. Officers subsequently found two men dead from apparent gunshot wounds — one inside a residence roughly 2 miles from the first location, and another at a business near that second residence.
Police have not released the victims’ identities, pending notification of their family members. Kies confirmed the suspect had a criminal record but declined to share further details.
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