Police probe killings, shooting of suspect

RENO — A suspect in a double homicide south of Reno was shot multiple times and killed in a gun battle with law officers after he led them on a high-speed chase to a popular recreation site in Nevada’s high desert nearly 100 miles away, authorities said Monday.

State troopers, and Washoe County and Carson sheriff’s deputies continued their investigation Monday into the killing of two women and wounding of a man at a home in the Washoe Valley Friday night.

Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper David Gibson said multiple officers fired their weapons during the shootout near the Sand Mountain Recreation Area about 25 miles east of Fallon.

The Washoe County medical examiner planned to conduct an autopsy on the gunman Monday. Neither his name nor the names of the victims have been released.

Reno police were leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.

Authorities responded to the home in New Washoe City about 7:30 p.m. Friday after receiving a 911 call from a man who said his wife had been shot.

Police say the gunman fled on U.S. Highway 50 in a Jeep Cherokee that belonged to one of the dead women. The other woman who was killed appeared to have suffered blunt force trauma but had not been shot. The man suffered a gunshot wound but his life was not believed to be in danger.

Officers spotted the suspect and gave chase at speeds up to 100 mph before they killed him.

Churchill County Sheriff Ben Trotter told the Lahontan Valley News his agency was briefly involved when they joined the pursuit at Leeteville Junction of a man wanted for questioning in connection with two deaths in New Washoe City south of Reno. Trotter said CCSO deputies stopped their pursuit east of Fallon.

Washoe sheriff’s spokesman Bob Harmon said Monday no additional information will be released until the autopsies are completed.