Missouri town mourns as gunman kills 7, then self
Shooter targeted relatives, neighbors
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Residents of a small southern Missouri town struggled to come to grips with the knowledge that one of their own had killed seven people in a spasm of violence that ended when the gunman shot himself to death on a rural county road.
Joseph Jesse Aldridge, 36, went to four homes in the unincorporated town of Tyrone in Texas County late Thursday, killing relatives and neighbors, but sparing two teenagers. He was later found dead in a vehicle in neighboring Shannon County, about 25 miles away.
Aldridge’s 74-year-old mother, Alice, was found dead in a home she shared with her son as officers went door to door to searched for other victims. An autopsy performed Saturday found she died of natural causes, Texas County Coroner Tom Whitaker said. Alice Aldridge had a history of breast cancer and had lung cancer, said Whitaker, adding investigators assumed she was not a victim of violence, but wanted to be “100 percent” sure.
Autopsies were not performed on the other victims. “Since the shooter killed himself, and we’re certain he is the shooter, and the weapon he killed himself with, the ammunition he used, all match the victims, the prose- cuting attorney felt there was no need for autopsies,” Whitaker said.
Texas County Sheriff James Sigman on Saturday identified three of the victims as Darrell Dean Shriver, 68; his 46-yearold son, Carey Dean Shriver, and Cary’s wife, Valirea Love Shriver, 44. The name of a 67-year-old woman who was injured was not released.
John W. Shriver, 72, said he found the bodies of Carey and Valirea Thursday night after his cousin Darrell’s wife called screaming and asking him to find Carey. The couple’s 13-year-old son, also named John Shriver, slept through the killings and was found in his bed.
Shriver told The Associated Press Saturday that it’s still unclear why his cousins were killed. “They was neighbors and we had heard maybe he (Joseph) asked Darrell for a job and didn’t get it, but we don’t know that for sure,” he said.
Residents speculated Friday that the death of Aldridge’s mother might have triggered the rampage, but investigators were still trying to determine a motive.
The shootings came to light when a 13-year-old girl ran to a neighbor’s house for help after hearing gunshots at her home. The girl called 911 from the neighbor’s home and, while officers were responding to that call, they heard of another shooting. Authorities identified the victims Friday as two couples, Garold Dee Aldridge, 52, and his wife, Julie Ann, 47; and Harold Wayne Aldridge, 50, and his wife, Janell Arlisa, 48. Both men were cousins of Joseph Aldridge, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Kinder.