Suspect found dead after 5 shot, 4 killed

UPDATED SUNDAY:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mavis Christian Jr., the suspect accused of shooting five females and killing four, was found dead overnight after a manhunt.

Memphis Police say at 3:31 a.m. Sunday, Christian was located inside a Chevy Malibu on Alta Road. He had what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Christian, 52, was wanted in three separate shootings that left a 13-year-old girl and three women dead Saturday night. A 15-year-old girl was critically wounded, police say.

Police said Saturday night, he was last seen driving a white 2017 Chevy Malibu with the Tennessee tag #390-BHTM and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

• At 5:43 p.m., police responded to a shooting on Field Lark Drive in Southwest Memphis, where they found a teenage girl and a woman dead on the scene. Another teen girl was transported to the hospital in critical condition.

.2 dead, one injured after ‘domestic’ shooting in southwest Memphis

• At 6:40 p.m., a woman was found shot to death on Warrington Road near Clearbrook Street in Southeast Memphis. Police said the victim was pronounced dead on the scene but have not released any other details.

Woman shot dead in Southeast Memphis

• At 9:22 p.m., officers located a fifth shooting victim. A woman was found dead in the 100 block of Howard Drive in Whitehaven.

MPD said through the course of the investigation, they determined the scene and the two others were connected, and all involved Christian. They said Christian is a known relative of the victims.

Local, state, and Federal agencies were actively searching for the suspect.

According to a neighbor, the woman killed on Field Lark Drive was Christian’s niece, Lateisha Bobo, and the teen girls were her daughters.

Neighbors say the victims recently avoided staying at the southwest Memphis home.

“They weren’t even living there because of him,” said a neighbor.

The 13-year-old girl, identified by family as Tori Christian, was reportedly shot in the head in a car. The woman says she ran over, calling for help as she tried to comfort her long-time neighbor.

“[I said] ‘Don’t leave, stay here.’ And I heard my grandbaby holler out for her friend, and I raised up, and she was in the vehicle holding her,” she said. “The one that lost her life, she was 13. That was my granddaughter’s best friend. She was the one in the vehicle. The older sister, who I found out is 15, is the one that was able to run.”

Neighbors say that the 15-year-old girl was allegedly shot in the leg, “running for her life,” screaming, “he’s trying to kill me.” She was able to get away from the shooter and was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.

Police have not confirmed the identity of the woman killed on Howard Drive, but according to documents, MPD responded to that same location in 2018 for a domestic violence call involving Christian’s ex-wife.

The woman killed on Warrington Road was identified by the family as Ruby Manuel, Mavis Christian’s sister.

Mavis Christian Sr., the shooter’s father, says his son was essentially estranged from the family since being released from jail several years ago.

The Memphis Police Department released the following statement after Christian was found dead:

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic and senseless shootings on Saturday, November 18th, resulting in the deaths of four innocent family members and a fifth victim critically injured. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their loved ones as our community grieves more lives taken by domestic violence.”

MPD also commended the “brave, quick, and decisive actions” of the Memphis Police Department, local law enforcement agencies in the area, and the United States Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force, who reportedly located the suspect.

“Our department continues to demonstrate an unwavering commitment towards ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents, and incidents like these shake us all to our core,” said Chief Cerelyn ‘CJ’ Davis. “We appreciate our community’s patience, engagement, and support during these challenging times, and we look forward to creating a safer Memphis together.”

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