A Tennessee man went on a violent rampage, murdering his estranged wife, her daughter and three kids after she warned a court he had “50 to 60 guns” and was afraid he would “get drunk and shoot me”.
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told TV station Local 3 that Gary Barnett, 48, who owned the home in Marion County where the shooting took place, was one of the three adults found inside the burning home around 9pm on Thursday.
Sheriff Bo Burnett confirmed Barnett, who had worked in the machine tool industry, was the one who shot and killed his wife, Regina, her daughter Britney and her two kids — before turning the gun on himself.
Regina, who worked at the Seymour handle factory, had filed for a restraining order against her husband a month ago, according to court records, the New York Post reported.
In court documents, Regina wrote: “My soon-to-be (ex) husband threatened to shoot me and he verbally abuses me every day. He also threatened to shoot my dog.
“He also has anywhere from 50 to 60 guns in his room. I am afraid he will get drunk and shoot me.”
Another unnamed adult, who was found inside the home which had been set alight at some point during the shooting, was also injured and flown to a local hospital.
The surviving adult — who has not been identified — suffered several gunshot wounds, local reports said.
The three children’s names and ages have not been released.
Sheriff Burnett confirmed two of the minors who were found dead were Regina’s grandchildren.
“It’s a domestic situation, evidently that has been ongoing for a pretty good while,” Sheriff Burnett said to WTVC NewsChannel 9.
Deputies initially responded to the residence on Thursday night for a possible shooting, but found the home fully-engulfed in flames when they arrived at the scene.
A judge had approved a “no contact order” against Barnett, to stay away from his wife, which was still in effect at the time of the shooting.
Autopsy reports on all the victims and Barnett are being conducted Nashville, authorities said.
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission