A man accused of killing his roommate Tuesday in Pulaski County died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound later that day after firing at authorities from a hunting lodge, the Woodruff County sheriff said Wednesday.
State police Wednesday were investigating the death of 41-year-old George Ricky Jenkins, who was accused of fatally shooting a 44-year-old woman and injuring another woman at a Pulaski County home Tuesday morning, authorities said.
Brandi Johnson-Bennett, Jenkins' roommate, was found dead Tuesday morning inside a home at 10318 Ironton Road, authorities said. Deputies found the second victim, Ashley Lawson, 40, behind the residence with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. She was listed in stable condition Tuesday.
Authorities found the suspects' vehicle at a hunting lodge after receiving a tip that he was in Gregory, an incorporated community in Woodruff County, said Woodruff County Sheriff Phil Reynolds.
When officers from various agencies approached the hunting lodge, Reynolds said the man fired from the building toward him, his chief deputy and a state trooper.
A state trooper fired back, he said.
Moments later, a muffled gunshot came from the building followed by the sound of something hitting the floor, he said.
They secured the scene and waited for the Arkansas State Police SWAT Team, which arrived later that afternoon, he said.
The SWAT team entered the building and found Jenkins dead, according to the Pulaski County sheriff's office. The sheriff's office also identified the dead man as Jenkins on Tuesday night.
Reynolds said the man had died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest.
A state police spokesman declined to provide further information about the shooting, but said the agency is investigating the death.
The body has been sent to the state Crime Laboratory to confirm the identity and the manner of death, said Bill Sadler, a state police spokesman.
At the time of the fatal shooting Tuesday morning, Jenkins had a warrant out for failing to comply with a condition of his probation or suspension, according to court documents.
According to the records, Jenkins violated the terms of his suspended sentence multiple times last year and also committed a new offense by violating a protection order.
Jenkins was found guilty of violating a domestic protection order related to a violation that occurred last July.
Jenkins had a suspended sentence related to two charges -- possession of firearms by certain persons and third-degree domestic battery -- for violations that occurred in August 2013, according to online court records. He was found guilty of those charges in October 2015, according to the court records.
Metro on 01/05/2017