A FAMILY dispute over land has ended in a murder-suicide, leaving a gunmaker and his wife dead.

Kurt Tyler Birdsong, 56, is believed to have opened fire on his relatives before barricading himself in a bathroom and taking his own life.

Walter Earnest Birdsong Jr. and his wife Amanda Lynn Birdsong were fatally shot by a relative after a family dispute over land escalated to gunfireCredit: Facebook
 
A three hour standoff took place with the suspect and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office after the shootingCredit: WLBT
Walter Earnest Birdsong Jr, 62, the owner of WE Birdsongs and Associates, was found dead alongside his wife, Amanda Lynn Birdsong, 43, at a home in Florence, Mississippi, on Friday.

Deputies with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene just before 4pm about reports of a shooting with an armed suspect who retreated inside a residence on the property.

The suspect, identified as Kurt, is believed to have shot and killed Walter and Amanda, who were pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials learned multiple members of the Birdsong family were living on the property had been in an ongoing dispute over the land, leaving authorities to believe it escalated into gunfire.

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Once investigators were on scene and learned that the family was involved in firearms-related business, they called other law enforcement personnel, including the FBI Jackson Field Office and the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security, for assistance due to a possible elevated threat.

“We could not rule out the presence of unexploded ordnance, booby traps, or a large cache of weapons on the premises,” Sheriff Bryan Bailey said, according to Tide News.

W.E. Birdsong & Associates is notably known for its manufacturing of Black-T, a proprietary weapons coating known for its corrosion resistance, which is used extensively by those in the military and law enforcement.

“Once sufficient personnel arrived, deputies established a perimeter around the property and evacuated nearby residents as a precaution,” the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office said.

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Members of the SWAT team worked alongside negotiators to try and get Kurt to come out of the house.

For over three hours, law enforcement officials tried to talk to Kurt through a loudspeaker, telephone and drone-deployed communication devices.

After several unsuccessful attempts, sheriff deputies used armored and technical equipment to enter the home.

“During a search of the home, deputies located the suspect deceased inside a bathroom from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” officials said.

In 2019, Kurt filed a lawsuit against Walter and two other relatives, alleging that they had transferred the land to a third party without his permission, the Daily Express reported.

Kurt claimed his father had promised him the land before his death in 2015.

The court ultimately ruled against Kurt due to the fact that there was no written contract.

A source told Tide News that Kurt had become increasingly isolated in recent years and had been living on the property but in a different structure because he was barred from the main residence following a heated argument in 2022.

A neighbor said Walter was a quiet man who kept to himself, but was always willing to lend a hand with farm work or mechanical repairs, Tide News reported.

“She was always the one trying to get everyone to sit down and talk,” a neighbor said of Amanda.