Walter Earnest Birdsong Jr., owner of the weapons company WE Birdsong & Associates, and his wife, Amanda Lynn Birdsong, were found dead inside his residence in Florence, Mississippi, following a shooting that authorities attribute to a domestic dispute over land.
The Rankin County Sheriff’s Office reported that The alleged perpetrator, Kurt Tyler Birdsong, 56, was also found dead inside a closed bathroom of the home for an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Tide News experiences reported.
A legal dispute over family lands
Court records show that Kurt Tyler Birdsong had sued Walter Earnest Birdsong Jr. and other relatives in 2019 for the transfer of a plot of approximately 14 acres within an aquainted lot of more than 100 acres.
The defendant claimed that his father had verbally promised him the property before he died in 2015. However, the court ruled against him, determining that there was no written contract to support the agreement.
Neighbors in the area claimed that, after losing the case, Kurt’s behavior became increasingly erratic and that the police had come on several occasions to intervene in family arguments.
The suspect entered the home armed
Authorities believe Kurt Tyler Birdsong entered the family home on Monterey Avenue armed with at least two guns, even though he was supposedly banned from entering since 2022 following threats of violence.
During an altercation, The man allegedly shot Walter and Amanda Birdsong multiple times.
He subsequently barricaded himself in a bathroom of the house and stopped responding to authorities’ attempts at negotiation.
The Rankin County Sheriff’s Office indicated that it received an emergency call shortly before 4:00 pm on Friday alerting about two people shot and an armed suspect inside the home.
Due to the nature of the current business involving weapons and specialized coatings for weapons, authorities requested support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and other state and federal agencies.
Investigators evacuated nearby homes and deployed armored vehicles due to the possibility of finding explosives or large quantities of weapons on the property.
After more than three hours of negotiations, SWAT teams entered the house and found the bodies.
Walter Earnest Birdsong Jr. was known for running the private company WE Birdsong & Associates, dedicated to the development of specialty coatings for firearms.
Neighbors described Amanda Birdsong as a conciliatory person who tried to mediate family conflicts.
“She always wanted everyone to sit down and talk,” said a local resident.
The family issued a statement asking for privacy as they deal with the deaths of Walter, Amanda and Kurt.
The FBI analyzes the suspect’s electronic devices to determine if there was prior planning for the attack. Meanwhile, ATF agents conduct a complete inventory of the arsenal and materials stored at the home company to rule out additional risks or possible illegal activities.
Keep reading:
–Body of former inmate discovered on agricultural property in Mississippi
–Three Hispanics missing in the Mississippi River are found dead
–Mother in Mississippi kills monkey that escaped after accident for fear it would attack her children
