A long-standing family feud over property ended in tragedy Friday afternoon last week when Walter Earnest Birdsong Jr., 62, and his wife, Amanda Lynn Birdsong, 43, were shot and killed in their Florence, Mississippi home.
Authorities identified the shooter as Walter’s relative, 56-year-old Kurt Birdsong, who took his own life following the attack.
The violence was the culmination of a decade-long dispute regarding a 14-acre plot of land. Kurt Birdsong had claimed the property was promised to him by his father before his death in 2015.
However, a judge ruled against him in 2019 due to the lack of a written contract. Neighbors reported that Kurt became increasingly erratic following the ruling, though Amanda Birdsong was known to have frequently attempted to mediate the family’s disagreements.
On the day of the shooting, Kurt entered the home armed with at least two firearms and opened fire on the couple
Law enforcement arrived within eight minutes of a 911 call and entered a three-hour standoff with the gunman, who had barricaded himself in a bathroom. Because Walter Birdsong was the son of the founder of W.E. Birdsong & Associates, a firearms and specialized coating business, a bomb squad was called to the scene as a precaution regarding potential explosive materials used in manufacturing.
When tactical teams eventually breached the bathroom, they found Kurt dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Birdsong family released a statement expressing that they are “heartbroken beyond words,” noting that the land intended for the family had ultimately torn them apart.
Investigators are currently examining Kurt’s cellphone to determine if he left a manifesto or further explanation for the attack.