Authorities say a 66-year-old man fatally shot six relatives in a small North Carolina community over the weekend, then killed himself
PITTSBORO, N.C. — A 66-year-old man fatally shot six relatives in a small North Carolina community over the weekend, then killed himself, authorities said Monday.
The shooting happened late Sunday afternoon in the Moncure area of Chatham County, the county sheriff’s office said in a statement. Evidence indicates that Larry Don Ray shot and killed the six others before turning the gun on himself, Lt. Sara Pack, an agency spokeswoman, said in a statement. Ray was found among the dead. Authorities said they’re still investigating a possible motive.
The sheriff’s office described the area as a “quiet, close-knit community where violence is out of the norm.” Moncure is a community about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of Raleigh.
The victims were identified as Jeanie Ray, 67, Helen Mason, 93; Ellis Mansfield, 73; Lisa Mansfield, 54; John Paul Sanderford, 41; and Nicole Sanderford, 39.
“To lose any family member is devastating, but to lose several at once to unexpected violence is unimaginable,” Sheriff Mike Roberson said in a statement. “There are no words to describe the sense of loss we feel as a community in the wake of this terrible event.”
