Muscatine, Iowa – A 52-year-old Iowa man is suspected of killing six family members in a shooting rampage before taking his own life when confronted by police, authorities said.

Ryan Willis McFarland has been identified as the suspect in Monday’s deadly domestic-related incident in Muscatine, located about 50 miles southeast of Cedar Rapids.

Police responded to reports of a shooting just after noon and found four people dead from gunshot wounds inside a home. McFarland had already fled the scene. Officers later located him on a nearby trail along the Mississippi River, where he turned the gun on himself as police approached.

“While talking to Ryan Willis McFarland, he took his own life,” Muscatine Police Chief Anthony Kies told reporters. Emergency personnel rendered aid, but McFarland was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators later discovered two additional victims believed to be family members of the suspect — one inside a home about two miles away and another at a nearby business — bringing the total number of fatalities to six.

Two of the victims were students in the Muscatine Community School District, and two were district employees, school officials confirmed.

Chief Kies described the incident as “this act of evil” and said preliminary findings indicate the shootings stemmed from a domestic dispute. McFarland had a prior criminal record, though details were not released.

State Senator Janice Weiner called the bloodshed a “tragedy of massive proportions” that has shaken the entire community.

“Our hearts are with the families and loved ones impacted by this horrific act,” she said. “This tragedy impacts everyone — community, schools, a sense of safety.”

The victims have not yet been publicly identified. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to piece together the full timeline of events.