A man broke into a house in rural Alabama where his girlfriend was hiding and killed five of the residents, including a pregnant woman.
Derrick Dearman (pictured above, left), was looking for his girlfriend, Laneta Lester (pictured above, right). She was staying at her brother’s house in order to escape an abusive relationship with Derrick, reports The Huffington Post.
The family called the emergency line early on Saturday morning to report Dearman trespassing on the property, however police could not find him. Derrick snuck into the house later and killed five of the residents while they slept, kidnapping one of the children, who was 3-months-old, and Laneta.
Police report that he used ‘multiple instruments’ to carry out the killings, including firearms.
The victims were: Robert Lee Brown, 26; Chelsea Marie Reed, 22, who was five months pregnant; Justin Kaleb Reed, 23; Joseph Adam Turner, 26; and Shannon Melissa Randall, 35.
Dearman later released Lester and the child and turned himself in to police. He is expected to face six counts of capital murder (including one for the unborn child).
Dearman had a history of abuse, yet was still able to legally access firearms. As The Huffington Post has previously reported, most mass shootings in America are linked to domestic violence.
