Two teenagers and an unborn child were among the victims of a pair of shooting incidents in Cass County last night.
According to an updated video press release on the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page from Sheriff Devron Ohrn this afternoon, just before 9:00 pm Thursday, officers were called to a residence located at 308 Philadelphia Road in rural Philadelphia after a male caller told 911 dispatchers he had been shot.
Ohrn says the male did not give the address, but officers were able to determine his location via the plotting feature of the 911 system. Upon arrival, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies and Ashland Police found the man with a gunshot wound to the stomach, along with a deceased female victim inside the residence.
Officers treated the male at the scene until EMS arrived. Ohrn says that based on information provided by the male victim, authorities responded to a second residence located at 752 Lockard Street in the Village of Ashland, where two additional female victims were located.
53-year-old Christina Bell, and 16-year-old Alaria Bell, both of that address were pronounced deceased at the scene. 19-year-old Autumn Bell was pronounced deceased at the scene of her Philadelphia residence. According to a GoFundMe page set up for the family, Autumn Bell was pregnant and her unborn child also did not survive. The male victim was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Cobren was found inside the vehicle with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Jacksonville Police Department confirmed this afternoon that the suspect vehicle caught fire at one point during the incident. The Jacksonville Fire Department was dispatched and extinguished the fire. Officials said officers provided cover out of an abundance of caution for the firefighters.
Cobren was pronounced deceased at the scene by Morgan County Coroner Marcy Patterson. JPD officials say the incident including the cause of the fire remains under investigation, however after preliminary investigation, it is not believed the fire contributed to his death.
Ohrn says autopsies have been scheduled for Monday, December 18th. The incidents remain under investigation. The GoFundMe page set up for the victims can be found here.
Ohrn says no further information will be released at this time.