From left, Parkersburg Police Sgt. J.M. Stalnaker, Lt. G.D. Nangle, Chief Joe Martin, Detective D.D. Sturm and Wood County Prosecutor Jason Wharton confer at the scene of a double suicide on Neal Street behind O’Reilly Auto Parts Wednesday afternoon as Detective K.S. Barnette, right, photographs the truck in which the individuals shot themselves.
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — A suspect in the murder of a Parkersburg man shot himself in the head as police tried to arrest him Wednesday afternoon on Neal Street behind O’Reilly Auto Parts.
Moments later a woman in the passenger seat picked up his gun, put it to her head and pulled the trigger, Parkersburg police said.
Parkersburg residents Jason Edward Drain, 31, and Cassandra Michelle Bailey, 28, were pronounced dead soon after they were taken to Camden Clark Medical Center by ambulance.
Drain was a person of interest in the Wednesday morning murder of Parkersburg resident Brian Duanne Shann, 38, who was shot in the head, according to a release from Parkersburg Police Chief Joe Martin. Shann was taken to CCMC by EMS on the scene.
Martin said police tracked Drain to a Neal Street apartment and plainclothes officers were surveilling the location and the nearby truck Drain was believed to have been driving. Around 2:15 p.m., Drain and Bailey came outside and attempted to get into the truck, the chief said.
“We announced ourselves, as he was entering his vehicle, as police. He entered his vehicle, and immediately pulled a handgun out,” Martin said.
Officers ordered Drain to surrender, but he shot himself with the semi automatic pistol inside the vehicle, Martin said. Bailey then picked up the pistol, he said.
“The officers began at that time pleading with her to put the weapon down, and she shot herself,”Martin said.
Ninth Avenue resident Velma Sholes watched the incident unfold from her nearby house.
“They just would not give up, whoever was in that truck,” she said.
Martin said police officers did not discharge any weapons at the scene. That was verified by uniform division commander Capt. S.E. Elliott, who was not involved with the initial call and counted the rounds found at the scene to make sure they matched the number of bullets discharged from the gun, the chief said.
The case began to unfold around 9 a.m. Wednesday, when police and emergency services responded to a report of a shooting at 1015 E. 12th St., at the corner of 12th and Oak streets.
Shann was taken to Camden Clark Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Martin said. Detectives were informed Shann died at 9:34 a.m. Wednesday.
Shann and Drain were acquaintances, Martin said. Drain arrived at the residence and while the two were having a conversation, Drain brandished a semi automatic pistol and shot Shann in the head, Martin said.
“We believe the motive for the homicide was robbery,” Martin said. Drain immediately left the residence after taking cash from inside the home, Martin said.
Bailey was not directly involved in the morning shooting but was in the vehicle outside, he said.
The house was several blocks from the Wood County Schools Central Office and Jefferson Elementary Center.
Assistant Schools Superintendent Mike Fling said Jefferson was locked down for about 30 minutes as police secured the area and assessed where the suspect had likely fled. Fling said the central office was not placed on lockdown, though the building remains locked at all times.
“That is something we’ll likely have to evaluate in the near future,” he said.
The investigation remains open as evidence will be sent to the state laboratory for examination, Martin said. Wood County Coroner Mike St. Clair assisted Parkersburg Police Department with the investigation and referred the three deceased to be examined at the Office of the State Medical Examiner, Martin said.
The West Virginia State Police and the Wood County Sheriff’s Department also assisted with locating the suspect in the shooting, Martin said.
(Staff writers Jeffrey Saulton and Michael Erb contributed to this story.)
