A 32-year-old double-murder suspect committed suicide by shooting himself with a shotgun to avoid arrest, police said.
California police identified 32-year-old Ricky Hunter as the suspect who allegedly shot two adult female victims dead outside an apartment complex Tuesday, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) press release reads. Police then tracked Hunter down Wednesday and found him at a cell phone store, waiting for him to enter his vehicle to arrest him. SCSO chose this tactic because “Hunter was considered armed and dangerous” and they wanted to “avoid a dangerous situation inside of a crowded shopping area.”
Hunter reacted by pulling a shotgun out and shooting himself in the chest, the SCSO press release reads. Police performed first aid on Hunter, and he was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
DOUBLE HOMICIDE AT APARTMENT COMPLEX ON HOWE AVENUE
Update: Suspect Ricky Hunter was pronounced deceased a short time ago. pic.twitter.com/CU1fTIzLB0
— Sacramento Sheriff (@sacsheriff) April 12, 2024
SCSO tweeted an update Friday that notified the public “Ricky Hunter was pronounced deceased a short time ago.”
Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, told the press that police had not fired any shots at Hunter, KCRA 3 reported.
Police pronounced both women who Hunter allegedly shot dead at the scene. (RELATED: Police Arrest Florida Man On Manslaughter Charges In Connection To Shooting Of 13-Year-Old Girl, Police Say)
The investigation is ongoing.