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KANSAS (KMBC) — Five victims and a male suspect are dead following a shooting Tuesday in Winfield, Kansas.
The KBI said events surrounding the shooting began around 8:50 a.m. near 9th Avenue and Stewart Street, about 150 miles southwest of Kansas City.
Winfield Police Chief Robbie DeLong said the suspect, 53-year-old Ronald Williams Sr., called 911 and told dispatchers he had killed his entire family and was preparing to kill himself.
Officers happened to be working a traffic crash about two blocks away and quickly responded.
DeLong said the first officer approaching the home heard a single gunshot. Officers retreated and initially treated the incident as a barricade situation because they did not know what had happened inside.
Just before 11 a.m., after backup arrived and other options had been attempted, officers breached the front door and found six people dead inside.
KBI Special Agent in Charge Jason Diaz said evidence suggests the five victims were already dead when Williams called 911. Investigators believe the gunshot heard by the responding officer was Williams dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“I believe when he called 911 that he was accurate in what he said,” Diaz said.
The KBI said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Diaz identified the five victims as Kelly George, 44, and four children: Carol Williams, 9; Ronald Williams Jr., 7; Sarah Williams, 5; and Kelly MaGee-Williams, 3.
The KBI said Williams and George were the parents of the four children.
Local and state agencies were still working Tuesday to determine a motive.
“Obviously, this is a very tragic day in our community,” DeLong said.
DeLong said Winfield police had previous contact with Williams over what he described as erratic behavior, including calls involving aggressive behavior and confrontations with people.
“So I can say that we’ve had contact with Mr. Williams, some erratic behavior,” DeLong said. “I can’t say that anything would have indicated that we would be where we are today.”
When asked if police had any recent dealings with Williams, DeLong said there had been one “fairly recent” encounter.
“I can’t tell you the exact date, but yeah, within the last few weeks,” he said.
KBI records show Williams was a registered sex offender.
He was charged in 1997 with two counts of attempted indecent liberties with a child in Wyandotte County.
DeLong said the magnitude of Tuesday’s shooting was unlike anything he had experienced during his career in Winfield.
“In my 20-plus years here, no, I can’t remember anything remotely close to this,” DeLong said.
Winfield police and the KBI brought in peer support resources to help officers, agents and crime scene personnel who responded to the shooting.
DeLong described the scene as “one of the hardest things I’ve ever seen” and said the department plans to continue providing support and resources to those who responded.
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