Father-to-be murdered by carjacker who took him and his wife hostage during day-long rampage
A Tennessee man was murdered on Sunday by a gunman who had taken him and his pregnant wife hostage after a series of shootings and carjackings near by.
The couple, Aileen and Jordan Stevens, had been on their way to church in Rutherford County when a car rammed into them on Interstate 24, according to the woman’s family.
Unbeknown to the couple, the driver – later identified as 29-year-old Dangelo Dorsey of St Louis, Missouri– had just opened fire inside a moving vehicle, killing one person and wounding another, said David Rausch, director for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, in a news release.
Dorsey had got out of the vehicle as traffic came to a halt, shooting a driver in the hand as he attempted to carjack her vehicle, and shooting a truck driver in the face, Mr Rausch said.
After Dorsey crashed into the Stevens, the couple pulled over, believing it to be an accident. Dorsey then forced the couple at gunpoint to drive him back to their home in Morrison – about 80 miles southeast of Nashville.
There Dorsey allegedly stole two of their guns, switched vehicles and forced the couple to go with him. Authorities said Dorsey took the couple to a nearby location, separated them, and shot Jordan in front of his wife. He then forced Aileen back inside the car and continued driving, authorities said.
Police located the vehicle and a chase ensued, reaching speeds over 100mph. The vehicle eventually crashed and flipped.
"At that point, Dorsey took his own life”, Mr Rausch stated. "The female hostage was safely recovered.”
Authorities have identified the man killed earlier as Darcey Johnson, 28. The others who were injured are expected to recover.
A TBI spokesperson said Dorsey appeared to know the first two victims but his targeting of the Stevens appeared to be random. He reportedly had an extensive criminal record in his home state of Missouri but had no arrest record in Tennessee. An investigation into his motives is ongoing.
Aileen’s brother told CNN that she spent a few days in the hospital and his now at home recuperating. A GoFundMe account has been set up to provide financial support to Aileen and her family. Jordan Stevens was laid to rest at the First Baptist Chuch of McMinnville Friday afternoon.
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