MARION COUNTY, Tenn. — A Tennessee man went on a murderous rampage, killing his estranged wife, her daughter and three children after she cautioned a court he was heavily armed and she feared he would “get drunk and shoot me.”
Marion County deputies initially responded to the home Thursday evening on Pine Street in the unincorporated area known as Sequatchie regarding a possible shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered the residence was fully-engulfed in flames.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Gary Barnett, 48, who owned the home in Marion County where the shooting and fire erupted, was one of the three adults found inside the burning house around 9 p.m. Thursday, Local News 3 Chatanooga reported.
Sheriff Bo Burnett confirmed Barnett shot and killed his wife, Regina, her daughter Britney Perez and her two kids as well as one additional child. Another man suffered multiple gunshot wounds, but survived.
In his final act, Barnett reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The gunman worked in the machine tool industry.
Regina had previously filed for a restraining order against her husband about a month ago, court records revealed. She was employed at the Seymour handle factory.
According to court documents, Regina wrote, “My soon to be (ex) husband threatened to shoot me and he verbally abuses me every day. He also threatened to shoot my dog.”
Regina Barnett feared her husband would kill her. (Regina Patterson/Facebook)
Gary Barnett was under a criminal “no contact” order at the time of the homicides/suicide.
The unnamed man who was wounded during the family annihilation inside the home which had been set ablaze during the gunfire, was airlifted to a hospital. He reportedly sustained several gunshot wounds, according to local reports.
Law enforcement authorities who responded to a call regarding shots fired on Thursday found the home on Pine Street fully-engulfed in flames. (Screenshot WTVC)
Names and ages of three deceased children have not been released. Sheriff Burnett confirmed two of the kids were Regina’s grandchildren, the New York Post reported.
It’s unclear if the third child was related to the unidentified man who was wounded during the shooting.
Regina Barnett was killed in the violent rampage. (Regina Patterson/Facebook)
“It’s a domestic situation, evidently that has been ongoing for a pretty good while,” Sheriff Burnett said, WTVC NewsChannel 9 reported.
A criminal “no contact order” was in place against Barnett at the time of the familicide.
Autopsy reports on all the victims and Barnett are pending. They are being conducted in Nashville, authorities said.
