Multiple people are dead after a shooting that occurred near Philadelphia last night.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Ashland Police, Beardstown Police, Pleasant Plains Police, and Beardstown EMS responded to a residence in the 300 block of Philadelphia Road in rural Ashland for a male that had been shot just before 9 o’clock last night. Upon arrival, Cass County deputies and Ashland Police officers located a male with a gunshot wound and a deceased female at the residence. Deputies rendered medical aid to the male shooting victim until EMS arrived. Based upon information provided by the male victim, Cass County deputies, Ashland Police officers, and Beardstown Police officers responded to a second residence located on Lockard Street in Ashland and located two additional deceased female victims.
According to a report released by Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn, law enforcement then identified a suspect and suspect vehicle.
According to a Jacksonville Police report, officers of Jacksonville Police later located the suspect vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on a dark green GMC Yukon SUV at North Main and East Oak Street at 9PM. According to the Jacksonville Police report, the vehicle was registered to a Ronald L. Cobren of Philadelphia Township. According to Ohrn’s report, the suspect was located inside the vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at the scene by Morgan County Coroner Marcy Patterson’s office. Burn marks at the scene of the traffic stop confirm a fire occurred.
The surviving male victim was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The investigation into these incidents remains open and ongoing.
Ohrn said in his report that additional information is expected to be released this afternoon.