With Police Closing In, Suspected 'Serial Killer' Accused of 6 Murders Shoots Himself
A suspected serial killer linked to the murders of at least six people in three different Michigan cities allegedly shot himself in the head on Monday after being cornered by police.
PEOPLE confirms that Kenyel Brown, 40, is listed in critical condition at a Detroit-area hospital.
Last week, Detroit Police identified Brown as the chief suspect in the fatal shootings of Kimberly Green, 48, and Dorian Patterson, 52, in River Rouge on Jan. 30. As a result, Brown’s face was featured heavily on local media news programs.
On Monday, Brown was recognized in Detroit at an adult bookstore, but by the time police arrived, he had left.
Investigators learned that he had fled to nearby Oak Park, and police scoured the area for about an hour before locating Brown hopping a fence.
According to Detroit Police, officers chased Brown on foot, utilizing a police dog to track him to an Oak Park backyard.
During a press conference Monday night, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said once he was cornered, Brown tried to kill himself by shooting himself in the head.
Craig characterized Brown as a “serial killer.” Brown has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder for the killings of Green and Patterson, one count of assault with intent to murder, one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, one count of firearms possession by a felon and six counts of felony firearm.
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In addition to the killings in River Rouge on Jan. 30, Brown is wanted for his alleged connection to a fatal shooting in the same city back on Jan. 8. He is also a suspect in the shooting death of a man in Highland Park on Feb. 18, and on Feb. 21, police allege he shot a 41-year-old man to death inside a Detroit T-shirt shop.
Craig further alleged Brown fatally shot a 36-year-old man “over a drug argument” on Saturday.
The Detroit News reports that in 2000, Brown was charged with second-degree murder and four vehicle-related felonies for his role in a River Rouge homicide.
According to the newspaper, Brown also pleaded guilty to fleeing and eluding a police officer in January 2001. The following month, the other three charges, including second-degree murder, were dismissed.
