A man from North Carolina was fatally shot by deputies on Saturday night after he killed two other individuals and critically injured a third at a different residence.
The three victims of Justin Michael Strawser were controlled before being shot. This information came from the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office., which also mentioned that the shooting was not random and that there were potential motives of narcotics and robbery.
Strawser locked himself inside the second Mooresville home with four young people, who rejected deputies’ efforts to rescue them.
Law enforcement officers attempted to convince Strawser to leave the house for several hours, but he refused and often shot at the officers. While several police vehicles were hit by bullets, no officers were injured.
The sheriff’s office mentioned that the suspect also confessed to his involvement in the fatal shooting at the other house during negotiations.
Police eventually resorted to other methods, such as using gas, to compel Strawser to leave. Subsequently, when tear gas was used, the young people inside escaped with the suspect following them, wearing a bulletproof vest and shooting at deputies. Deputies returned fire, resulting in his death.
The four young people were unharmed.
The three deputies who fired at Strawser were placed on administrative leave while the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation conducts an inquiry.
Authorities identified the two individuals killed as Eduardo Cordova, 22, and Caleb Loper, 24. The third man, who was not named, was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
[Featured image: Justin Michael Strawser/Iredell County Sheriff’s Office]