Shooting and Fire Leave Six Dead in Us State of Tennessee

Six people, including three children, were found dead Friday after a shooting and house fire in the U.S. state of Tennessee, according to media reports. 

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The apparent murder-suicide occurred at 21:00 local time Thursday in the unincorporated area known as Sequatchie, reported WTVC-TV, a television station in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

When officers responded to a report of a shooting at the residence, they found it on fire, according to the article. The remains of the deceased have been transported to Nashville, the capital of Tennessee, for autopsy.

A seventh person was hospitalized in Chattanooga with a gunshot wound, the report added, citing the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett told the news outlet that “it’s a domestic situation, obviously, that’s been ongoing for quite some time.”

Burnett was quoted by another local news outlet, Local 3 News, as saying that Gary Barnett, one of the three adults found dead, is believed to be the one who shot the other victims before taking his own life.

The two adult victims were identified as Regina Barnett and Britney Perez. Regina Barnett had obtained a restraining order against her husband Gary about a month ago, and Perez was visiting her mother Regina at the time of the incident, according to the article.

An arrest affidavit shows that the protective order was issued after Gary Barnett’s arrest in December 2022 on a domestic battery charge due to an incident with his wife. The arrest report also shows that Regina Barnett told officers that her soon-to-be ex-husband, Gary, threatened to shoot her and their dog and verbally abused her, Local 3 News reported.

The case against Gary Barnett was still pending, with a possible court appearance on July 5, the report added. Authorities said the incident is under investigation.

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