A sheriff's deputy and seven other people were shot dead overnight in southern Mississippi, authorities said Sunday.
Authorities identified Lincoln County sheriff's deputy William Durr, 36, as the slain officer according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation
The MBI said the shootings started around 11:30 p.m. at an address in Bogue Chitto, where the deputy and three females were found dead.
Another crime scene was found in Brookhaven, where the bodies of two boys were found. A third crime scene is at another address, where a man and a woman were found dead.
The identities of the other victims are pending notification of next of kin.
Bogue Chitto is an unincoporated part of Lincoln County and Brookhaven is the county seat.
The MBI said its agents and Lincoln County sheriff's deputies and the district attorney were investigating.
'He was just there'
A man identified as Willie Cory Godbolt, 35, of Bogue Chitto was taken into custody and was being treated at a Jackson, Mississippi, hospital, for a gunshot wound, the MBI said.
News photos shows authorities apprehending and cuffing Godbolt.
While he was in custody and awaiting treatment, the suspect spoke to a reporter at The Clarion-Ledger, the daily newspaper based in Jackson.
In the video and recounted in a story on the paper's website, Godboilt said he had gone to a residence to talk with people there about taking his children home.
"Somebody called the officer. People that didn't even live at the house. That's what they do. They intervene. It cost him his life. I'm sorry."
"My pain wasn't designed for him. He was just there," Godbolt said, referring to the lawman.
When he was asked what the future holds for him, Godbolt said, "Death."
"Suicide by cop was my intention. I ain't fit to live. Not after what I've done."
Durr served in the sheriff's department for two years and the Brookhaven, Mississippi, Police Department for four years, the MBI said.
In a Facebook post, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant mourned the victims, including the sheriff's deputy who died, in what he called a "senseless tragedy."
"Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities. Too often, we lose one of our finest. I thank the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work," he said.
According to the MBI, other agencies involved in the case include the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Bureau of Narcotics, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Pike, Walthall, Franklin, Copiah, Lawrence, Amite counties sheriff's departments, and the Brookhaven Police Department.
