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A shooting rampage hundreds of miles away has rocked Sumner County with the news that two of its own are listed among the victims.
Andrea Myers, 31, and 18 month-old daughter, Corrine Myers were gunned down as they were visiting the relatives of the gunman — who were neighbors — Tuesday night. The two are among 11 listed dead including suspected gunman, Michael McLendon.
The shooting was believed to be the worst mass killing by a single gunman in Alabama's history.
"He cleaned his family out," Coffee County Coroner Robert Preachers said. "We don't know what triggered it."
The shootings happened Tuesday afternoon in a mostly rural area near the Florida border, and were believed to be the work of McLendon, a man in his 20s who lived with his mother and once worked at a local metal plant.
The spree began around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when McLendon burned down his mother's house in Kinston. Coffee County, Alabama Sheriff Dave Sutton said McClendon put his mother, Lisa McLendon, on an L-shaped couch, piled stuff on top of her and set her afire. He said McClendon also shot four dogs at the house.
Then, McLendon drove a dozen miles southeast to Samson, in Geneva County, where he opened fire at a relative's porch, killing three relatives and two others before shooting another relative next door. After, he drove around the town shooting out his car window, killing three more people seemingly at random, authorities said.
One woman was struck down as she walked out of a gas station. Another man was hit while driving. A man was shot in the back as he tried to run away.
Greg McCullough, a contractor who lives in the town, said he was pumping fuel at the gas station when the gunman roared into the parking lot and slammed on his brakes.
"I first thought it was somebody playing," McCullough said. Then he saw the rifle.
McClendon went on the spree as an act of revenge, authorities say.
"We found a list of people he worked with, people who had done him wrong," said Coffee County District Attorney Gary McAliley in a brief interview outside the charred house where the rampage began.
Deputy Josh Myers, the husband and father of the two local victims, was helping with the shooting case when he got a call about this own family.
“We got notified on the radio that a trooper was chasing a suspect that had fired shots,” said Myers in a press release issued by the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department. The former Sumner County deputy and Belle Plaine police officer was called by a friend who told him his wife and daughter had been killed.
"I cried so much yesterday, I don't have a tear left in me," said Myers, who did not know McClendon. "I feel like I should be able to walk in the house and my wife would be there, my baby girl climbing on me."
The Myers’ 4 month-old infant daughter, Ella, was also struck in the leg and taken to a hospital in Pensacola, Fla., while son Isaac was uninjured.
Tom Knowles saw McLendon pull up and begin firing without saying a word, leaving his victims no time to react.
"He had no expression — just dead," said Knowles, who was in the yard of his son's house next door.
McLendon went inside the house and chased Phyllis White out before driving off, Knowles said. He returned moments later in his car as if he were still looking for her. The witness then made eye contact with him.
"He had cold eyes. There was nothing. I hollered at him. I said, 'Look, boy, I ain't done nothing to you,'" Knowles said. McLendon then left for good.
Afterwards, Knowles said he and his daughter found the baby Ella bleeding: "The only thing that was alive was the 3-month-old baby."
The family had moved to Alabama — Josh Myers’ home state — about a year ago, Sumner County Sheriff Gerald Gilkey said. They had previously lived in Belle Plaine, he said.
In shock, those who know the family are left wondering why.
“It’s just a traumatic thing. I feel so bad for Josh. I just want to go down and help him out,” Gilkey said.
Belle Plaine Police Chief Gordon Fell knew Myers from their time together on the SWAT team.
“I’m in disbelief that such a thing would happen,” said Fell. His family was good friends with the Myers’ when they lived in Belle Plaine. Fell says his friend is in “complete shock” from the incident.
“We do the job and it’s a risk that we take but you really don’t think about your family, kids being involved in a matter like that. We know it because we do it everyday but realistically we don’t think about the chances your family could be involved in something.”
Capt. Lowell Ester of the Mulvane Fire Department knew Andrea Myers from her time as a volunteer firefighter from 2002 to 2004.
A woman who could hold her own with any of her male cohorts, Myers was also a loving mother and wife, he said. The Mulvane woman graduated from Mulvane High School in 1996 and was described as a hard worker by Ester.
“She held her own with any of the guys practically. She was very loving. Loved kids...I think she was very happy what she did and how she lived her life.” said Ester.
“It’s hard because a lot of these people went to school with her or are related to her...it’s your typical small town,” said Ester. “Even if they didn’t know her, people are taking on the attitude of ‘What can we do to help?’”
The captain says he and those who know the Myers family still can’t believe the news.
“I just can’t imagine what Josh had to go through, to get a call while on duty that your wife and daughter had been killed,” Ester said.
A fund has been established by the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department to help with the financial burdens that will arise from the tragedy.
Donations may be sent to The Josh Myers Family Fund, c/o First National Bank, 206 E. Harvey, Wellington, KS 67152.
A shooting rampage hundreds of miles away has rocked Sumner County with the news that two of its own are listed among the victims.
Andrea Myers, 31, and 18 month-old daughter, Corrine Myers were gunned down as they were visiting the relatives of the gunman — who were neighbors — Tuesday night. The two are among 11 listed dead including suspected gunman, Michael McLendon.
The shooting was believed to be the worst mass killing by a single gunman in Alabama's history.
"He cleaned his family out," Coffee County Coroner Robert Preachers said. "We don't know what triggered it."
The shootings happened Tuesday afternoon in a mostly rural area near the Florida border, and were believed to be the work of McLendon, a man in his 20s who lived with his mother and once worked at a local metal plant.
The spree began around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when McLendon burned down his mother's house in Kinston. Coffee County, Alabama Sheriff Dave Sutton said McClendon put his mother, Lisa McLendon, on an L-shaped couch, piled stuff on top of her and set her afire. He said McClendon also shot four dogs at the house.
Then, McLendon drove a dozen miles southeast to Samson, in Geneva County, where he opened fire at a relative's porch, killing three relatives and two others before shooting another relative next door. After, he drove around the town shooting out his car window, killing three more people seemingly at random, authorities said.
One woman was struck down as she walked out of a gas station. Another man was hit while driving. A man was shot in the back as he tried to run away.
Greg McCullough, a contractor who lives in the town, said he was pumping fuel at the gas station when the gunman roared into the parking lot and slammed on his brakes.
"I first thought it was somebody playing," McCullough said. Then he saw the rifle.
McClendon went on the spree as an act of revenge, authorities say.
"We found a list of people he worked with, people who had done him wrong," said Coffee County District Attorney Gary McAliley in a brief interview outside the charred house where the rampage began.
Deputy Josh Myers, the husband and father of the two local victims, was helping with the shooting case when he got a call about this own family.
“We got notified on the radio that a trooper was chasing a suspect that had fired shots,” said Myers in a press release issued by the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department. The former Sumner County deputy and Belle Plaine police officer was called by a friend who told him his wife and daughter had been killed.
"I cried so much yesterday, I don't have a tear left in me," said Myers, who did not know McClendon. "I feel like I should be able to walk in the house and my wife would be there, my baby girl climbing on me."
The Myers’ 4 month-old infant daughter, Ella, was also struck in the leg and taken to a hospital in Pensacola, Fla., while son Isaac was uninjured.
Tom Knowles saw McLendon pull up and begin firing without saying a word, leaving his victims no time to react.
"He had no expression — just dead," said Knowles, who was in the yard of his son's house next door.
McLendon went inside the house and chased Phyllis White out before driving off, Knowles said. He returned moments later in his car as if he were still looking for her. The witness then made eye contact with him.
"He had cold eyes. There was nothing. I hollered at him. I said, 'Look, boy, I ain't done nothing to you,'" Knowles said. McLendon then left for good.
Afterwards, Knowles said he and his daughter found the baby Ella bleeding: "The only thing that was alive was the 3-month-old baby."
The family had moved to Alabama — Josh Myers’ home state — about a year ago, Sumner County Sheriff Gerald Gilkey said. They had previously lived in Belle Plaine, he said.
In shock, those who know the family are left wondering why.
“It’s just a traumatic thing. I feel so bad for Josh. I just want to go down and help him out,” Gilkey said.
Belle Plaine Police Chief Gordon Fell knew Myers from their time together on the SWAT team.
“I’m in disbelief that such a thing would happen,” said Fell. His family was good friends with the Myers’ when they lived in Belle Plaine. Fell says his friend is in “complete shock” from the incident.
“We do the job and it’s a risk that we take but you really don’t think about your family, kids being involved in a matter like that. We know it because we do it everyday but realistically we don’t think about the chances your family could be involved in something.”
Capt. Lowell Ester of the Mulvane Fire Department knew Andrea Myers from her time as a volunteer firefighter from 2002 to 2004.
A woman who could hold her own with any of her male cohorts, Myers was also a loving mother and wife, he said. The Mulvane woman graduated from Mulvane High School in 1996 and was described as a hard worker by Ester.
“She held her own with any of the guys practically. She was very loving. Loved kids...I think she was very happy what she did and how she lived her life.” said Ester.
“It’s hard because a lot of these people went to school with her or are related to her...it’s your typical small town,” said Ester. “Even if they didn’t know her, people are taking on the attitude of ‘What can we do to help?’”
The captain says he and those who know the Myers family still can’t believe the news.
“I just can’t imagine what Josh had to go through, to get a call while on duty that your wife and daughter had been killed,” Ester said.
A fund has been established by the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department to help with the financial burdens that will arise from the tragedy.
Donations may be sent to The Josh Myers Family Fund, c/o First National Bank, 206 E. Harvey, Wellington, KS 67152.
