MRGANTOWN (US), Dec 2: A manhunt was underway for a gunman suspected in three separate shootings that left four people dead in north-central West Virginia, including a woman who had filed a domestic violence complaint against the man sought by police.
Two of the shootings happened in the Westover area and the other was in the Cheat Lake area in Monongalia County, said state police spokesman Lt Michael Baylous, yesterday.
He identified the two victims from the Cheat Lake shooting as Sharon Kay Berkshire, 39, of Westover, and Michael David Frum, 28, of Maidsville. Baylous had no details on the Westover shootings, saying other law enforcement agencies were handling them. The Monongalia County sheriff’s office released no information by yesterday evening.
Monongalia County emergency dispatch director Mike Wolfe said police are seeking Jody Lee Hunt, 39, of Westover. Police also are searching for a 2011 Ford F-150 extended cab truck. “We ask that everyone stay vigilant and use their discretion about whether they should leave their homes,” Wolfe said.
According to Monongalia County Circuit Court records, Berkshire filed a domestic violence case against Hunt last month. Court records also indicated there were no protective orders currently in place for Berkshire.
Further details weren’t immediately available. A call to Hunt’s home went unanswered.
Arlene Barnett of Westover said she was drinking coffee at her home when she heard four gunshots shortly after 10 am at a nearby trailer where one of the victims lived.
“I didn’t pay any attention to it because I thought, oh heck, it’s deer season,” Barnett said. “I thought they were deer hunting. I just went about my business and didn’t connect anything. Then I heard the sirens.”
Frum’s aunt, Ellen Shafer, of the Cheat Lake area, said her nephew worked on detailing cars in Westover and did some construction work and other odd jobs.
“We were just saddened, and we’re living with the realization of his death and coping the best we can,” Shafer said.
Local schools were placed on lockdown, but West Virginia University in nearby Morgantown said there was no immediate threat to the campus. Classes resumed yesterday following the Thanksgiving break.
State documents indicate Hunt owned J&J Towing and Repair LLC of Westover. A call to the business went unanswered yesterday afternoon. (AGENCIES)
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