A 52-year-old man fatally shot six relatives in Iowa on Monday before taking his own life, in what police are investigating as a family annihilation. The suspect, Ryan Willis McFarland, killed four people at a home in Muscatine, then shot himself on a riverfront trail as officers spoke to him.
Two other men, also believed to be relatives, were found dead elsewhere in the city—one at his home and another inside a business. The Muscatine police chief, Anthony Kies, said the shootings stemmed from a domestic-related dispute.
Two victims were employees of the Muscatine community school district, and two were students, according to superintendent Clint Christopher. Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims or further details.
McFarland left the residence before officers arrived and was traced to the riverfront trail, where he suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Emergency personnel attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
This is the ninth mass murder of 2026 in the US, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Research shows 94% of family annihilations are committed by male perpetrators, with firearms used in 86% of cases. Perpetrators killed themselves in 64% of such incidents.
Police continue to investigate, processing crime scenes and conducting interviews. Kies described the act as evil, saying he did not have words for what it had done to the community.
