By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
RAINBOW CITY, Ala. — A woman was shot multiple times early Tuesday morning in what police described as an attempted murder-suicide at an apartment complex in Rainbow City. Two children were inside the home at the time but were not injured.
According to Rainbow City police, officers were dispatched at approximately 5:30 a.m. to an apartment building on Doris Street after a 911 caller reported that two people had been shot.
Lt. Jordan McCartney said officers and emergency medical personnel arrived to find the female victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she is listed in stable condition.
Police identified the deceased man as Eddie Charles Ellis Jr., 46, of Gadsden. Investigators determined Ellis died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.
Authorities said the man and woman were in a relationship. The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation.
Two juveniles were present in the apartment when the gunfire erupted but were not physically harmed. The James M. Barrie Center for Children responded to assist with the care and support of the children following the incident.
Additional agencies responded to the scene, including the Jacksonville State University Center for Applied Forensicsand the Etowah County District Attorney’s Office, which are assisting with the investigation.
Ellis’s body will be transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy.
Police said the investigation is ongoing, and no additional details were immediately available.
Anyone experiencing domestic violence or who knows someone in danger is encouraged to seek help through local resources or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).