Suspect dead after fatally shooting manager at Hobby Lobby in Oklahoma

A suspect wanted for fatally shooting the manager of a Hobby Lobby distribution center in Oklahoma was found dead after an hours-long search and a brief police chase, according to authorities.

Gunfire erupted near the company’s headquarters in Oklahoma City just after 5 p.m. Police said the shooter, who has not been identified, had a brief altercation with the victim before he “produced a handgun” and fired at least once.

The manager was pronounced dead on the scene. His name has not been released.

The suspect then fled from the facility in a red Dodge Challenger with a tag from the Muscogee Nation, a federally recognized tribe in Oklahoma, Authorities said the vehicle crashed along Highway 33 in between Guthrie and Kingfisher after leading state troopers on a high-speed chase.

The Oklahoma City Police Department, Logan County, Kingfisher County and Cashion Fire Departments also assisted during the pursuit.

Oklahoma City police spokesman Rob Robertson confirmed the suspect was dead around 9:30 p.m., nearly five hours after the shooting, KFOR reported. His cause of death was unclear.

Authorities have released few other details about the gunman except that he worked for the victim at Hobby Lobby. The home decoration and arts and crafts company is headquartered in Oklahoma City and occupies millions of square feet of manufacturing and distribution space within the metro area.

With News Wire Services