Man Allegedly Kills Girlfriend, Her Mom and Her Young Son in ‘Domestic Violence Situation’

Man Allegedly Kills Girlfriend, Her Mom and Her Young Son in ‘Domestic Violence Situation’

A Mississippi man has been arrested after he allegedly opened fire on his lover, her 5-year-old son, her mother and her sister in their rural home earlier this week, killing them all, PEOPLE confirms.

Karon D. McVay, 44, was charged Tuesday night with three counts of murder, one count of capital murder and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, officials in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, tell PEOPLE.

On Tuesday, 42-year-old Tomecca Pickett’s body was found in her Toomsuba, Mississippi, home alongside her son Owen; her mother, 65-year-old Edna Durr; and her 27-year-old sister, Kiearra Durr, Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun tells PEOPLE.

A 3-year-old child was also found in the home unharmed, Calhoun says, and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He appeared uninjured and is believed to be Kiearra Durr’s son.

Calhoun tells PEOPLE that McVay was dating Pickett and the couple had allegedly been fighting for hours before the shooting, Calhoun says. McVay was interviewed on the scene by deputies and later at the station, where he surrendered himself.

“It was a domestic violence situation that had been ongoing,” Calhoun told WAPT.

“I really do hope everything will be resolved for this,” Irene Thompson, a relative of the victims, told the Associated Press. “For anybody to want to hurt a child, I don’t know what to say.”

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Authorities believe McVay shot all four of the victims to death on Monday night, according to Calhoun.

A neighbor later became worried after she tried to call the family and never heard back, WMCA reports. When she went over to knock on the family’s front door, she saw a body.

McVay lived with Pickett and her family in their rural home, Calhoun tells PEOPLE. Details about his criminal history, or lack thereof, were not immediately available.

McVay remains behind bars at the Lauderdale County Detention Center on a $3 million bond, jail records show. It is unclear whether he has an attorney or has entered a plea.

Pickett’s family could not immediately be reached.