An Alabama man is accused of killing his wife along with four children between the ages of 2 and 9 in a Thursday night shooting that shocked the rural central community where they lived.
Brandon Allan Kendrick II, 32, was arrested on five counts of capital murder for the death of his wife, Kelse Kendrick, and four children in Bibb County, court records show. The victims were all shot in the head with a handgun, according to a document filed with the arrest warrant.
Sheriff Jody Wade said that Brandon Kendrick was the father of two of the children, and the other two were relatives. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said a 2-year-old, two 6-year-olds and a 9-year-old were killed in the shooting.
“It’s absolutely horrible. It’s unimaginable what the family is going through, what the friends of the family are experiencing, what the community is feeling right now,” Wade said “It was just a horrific scene that even seasoned officers told me it is the worst thing they’ve ever seen.”
Law enforcement officers responded after someone in the home called emergency officials to say that a child had been shot. “As officers are going, they are saying there are more children that have been shot,” Wade said.
Wade said that Kendrick did not say anything about a possible motive when he was arrested. He was taken into custody at the home without a struggle. Court records did not show whether he has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf.
The shooting occurred at about 10 p.m. in a rural area of the county near West Blocton which is about 40 miles southwest of Birmingham, CBS affiliate WIAT-TV reported.
Residents told WIAT-TV they were shocked to hear about a shooting in their close-knit community.
“It’s heartbreaking all the way around,” Bibb County resident Haley Smitherman told the station. “I mean my prayers are with the families.”
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation.