In an update to the story we broadcast Monday concerning the shooting in Taylorville, Illinois State Police report the central Illinois man stopped his crime spree after running out of places to run and turning his gun on himself.
Troopers say Lee Wayne Kennedy, age 43, allegedly started his spree Monday, about 5:00 a.m., when he allegedly shot his wife, his 13-year-old daughter, and another person in Taylorville. Investigators say he then sped off, triggering a massive manhunt across central and Southern Illinois.
According to Taylorville Police Chief Brian Hile, Kennedy parked his truck at the McDonald’s in Hillsboro, where he told employees someone would tow it away later, then stole a vehicle and headed north again.
Hile says Kennedy allegedly robbed a store in Stonington then headed back to Taylorville. Around 4:00 p.m., Kennedy was spotted by police driving on a rural road and a pursuit ensued.
Kennedy drove to Taylorville Memorial Hospital where he crashed into a roundabout. He allegedly had a handgun when he got out of the car and officers ordered him to drop the gun. He then shot himself.
Kennedy was taken inside the hospital where he was stabilized and transferred, with life-threatening injuries, to Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. Chief Hile said an update on Kennedy’s condition was not known.
