A 5-year-old kidnapping victim was fatally shot following a high speed chase on Friday.
Police in Leavenworth, Kansas, said that the little girl, Cadence Harris, was abducted from an unknown area earlier that evening. A police chase began in Atchison County before crossing into Missouri, and then back over the state line.
The suspect, Marcus McGowen, drove his SUV into a construction zone and could not find a way out, Leavenworth Police Chief Patrick Kitchens said in a Saturday news conference. He then got out of his car and allegedly fired on police, sparking a shootout.
McGowen was wounded by police gunfire, but Kitchens said Saturday that bullets fired by officers did not strike the suspect's car or the girl.
Initially it was reported that the suspect intentionally shot and killed the little girl at the scene, but police now say they are working to determine the source of her fatal gunshot wound.
McGowen was listed in serious but stable condition at an area hospital. He is expected to survive.
According to KCTV, police said that the suspect and the victim knew each other, but would not discuss their relationship.
The girl's family shared their grief on Facebook, the station reports.
"Heaven gained one of the most precious angels it could possibly have. I love you so much Cady, you will be forever in my heart," family member Cara Lynn Davis wrote.
Those who knew McGowan were shocked by his connection with the crime.
"From what I know, he was an alright guy. I got along with him. I got along with his brothers," Ricky Lee, who grew up with McGowan in Atchison, told KCTV.
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