A man has been charged in the deadly shooting of six people, including five small children, in Oklahoma earlier this week as new details emerge in the case, officials and reports say.
Police have arrested 25-year-old Jarron Deajon Pridgeon on charges of first degree murder for shooting the six victims, including children ages 1, 3, 5, 6 and 9, police said. The adult victim, 24-year-old Javarion Lee, is said to be Pridgeon’s brother.
Raven Anderson, an aunt of the children, told Tulsa TV station KOTV that Pridgeon was the father of three of the murdered children. Police officer Lynn Hamlin said the suspect and victims all lived in the house.
“They were wonderful kids, they were smart, full of happiness and energy. They just loved life,” she said. “To be honest, it would be great if everyone just kept on praying.”
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Investigators said they do not yet know what caused the suspect.
“How do you describe it? It’s tragic. They’re babies. You can’t comprehend it. You can’t digest it. You just can’t,” neighbor Susan Dvorak told local affiliate FOX25. The family had only lived in the house for about a month, she said.
Officers received a call to Muskogee’s home on Indiana Street at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, arriving to find the suspect – later identified as Pridgeon – outside with a gun, according to police and FOX23 in Tulsa.
At one point during the meeting, an officer fired his service rifle once, but missed the suspect, who fled the area, the outlet reported.
Police officers found the adult victim and four children dead inside. A fifth child was rushed to a hospital in Tulsa but could not be rescued, police said.
According to FOX23, there were three other children in the house who were not injured during the shooting.
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The children’s mother, Brittany Anderson, was also shot and injured, but was in stable condition on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Hamlin said Pridgeon did not collaborate with investigators. The prison records do not say a lawyer who could speak for Pridgeon.
Muskogee is a city of just under 40,000 people about 45 miles southeast of Tulsa.
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Two of the deceased children were students at the local Creek Elementary, Muskogee Public Schools confirmed on Facebook.
“We are saddened by this tragic loss and our deepest condolences go out to all concerned,” said Dr. Jarod Mendenhall, Superintendent of Muskogee Public Schools. “There are no words to express our grief at the loss of these students and our thoughts and prayers are with this family.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.