The Lee County coroner said Monday that the suspect involved in the shooting of an Auburn police officer Friday did not die in a fire as initially reported by police but instead by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said the suspect's death and the death of an unidentified 36-year-old woman with him were the result of a murder-suicide.
"It is believed that Wallace shot the female suspect and then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide," Harris said in a statement. "Where each suspect was shot is not being released at this time as the case is still very early in its stages and ongoing."
Other new details will be released when possible, Harris said.
The case remains under investigation by the Auburn Police Division, the Lee County Coroner's Office, the State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.
The male suspect was 38-year-old Christopher James Wallace. Harris said Monday that Wallace is from the Spanish Fort area.
The female suspect's name is still being withheld pending notification of a next of kin.
The Auburn Police Division confirmed Harris' findings Monday.
"Both have also been identified as being involved in the shooting of Officer Sanders," the Auburn Police Division said in a statement. "A preliminary examination by the State Medical examiner indicates that they both died as a result of gunshot wounds. It appears that the female initially sustained a fatal gunshot injury followed by Wallace sustaining a self-inflicted fatal gunshot injury. Weapons consistent with causing the fatal gunshot injuries were recovered adjacent to the bodies at the scene by Law Enforcement."
The police officer was identified Saturday as Justin Sanders, a five-year veteran of law enforcement. Police said Saturday he was in stable condition and is recovering from his injuries.
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Chip Brownlee, senior in journalism and political science, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
