Three people fatally shot in Baxter Springs
Mar. 28—BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. — A Baxter Springs woman and a 2-year-old child were shot and killed over the weekend, resulting in a three-hour shootout between local law enforcement and the suspect, who also was shot and killed.
Taylor Dawn Shutte, 27, and Clesslyn Crawford, 2, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials. The suspected shooter was identified as Eli Crawford, 37. The suspect was shot and killed by a police officer who returned fire during the shootout.
The Baxter Springs Police Department was dispatched around 7:14 p.m. Saturday to the 300 block of Wyandotte Avenue after receiving a call from a woman who said she needed help, according to a news release from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
Shutte left the home once law enforcement arrived, but Crawford shot and killed her, the sheriff's office said. Crawford then took their 2-year-old child inside the house and began firing at officers, the sheriff's office said. Officials said the exchange of gunfire lasted for nearly three and a half hours.
The child and Crawford were both dead when officers approached the residence following the shootout, the sheriff's office said.
The Baxter Springs Police Department and the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office were the first to respond to the incident. Assistance was provided by the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Joplin (Missouri) SWAT team.
The suspect was shot by a member of Joplin police who serves on the SWAT team, the Joplin Police Department confirmed on Monday afternoon. Per standard agency protocol, the officer who returned fire with the suspect has been placed on administrative leave. The officer has not been publicly identified.
The investigation is ongoing and being led by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office on Monday referred the Globe to KBI for comment. A KBI spokesperson said the incident is being investigated and more details would be released when available.