The man suspected of fatally shooting five people in two separate incidents in Appling on Friday night has been found dead in his home, authorities said. The cause of death was an apparent gunshot wound, the Associated Press reported.
The body of Wayne Anthony Hawes, 50, was recovered Saturday morning, Columbia County Sheriff Capt. Anthony Shedd said in a statement. Shedd said that the Friday shootings stem from a domestic dispute.
Three women and two men were killed. Hawes knew the victims, the AP reported Saturday.
Hawes’ daughter, Lauren Hawes, said Saturday that her father was a “ticking time bomb,” the AP reported. She said that she and her 1-year-old daughter hid in a neighbor’s house while her father allegedly went on the shooting attacks.
She said her father was upset after her mother ended their relationship, the AP reported. Victims included her grandmother and cousin.
Victims found at a home on Johnson Drive were identified as Roosevelt Burns, 75, Rheva Mae Dent, 85, and Kelia Clark, 31. Victims found at a home on Washington Road were identified as Lizzy Williams, 59, and Shelly Williams, 62, the AP reported.
Appling is about 130 miles east of Atlanta.
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