EIGHT KILLED IN VIRGINIA

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APPOMATTOX, Va. – A bomb squad discovered a multitude of explosives Wednesday at the home of a man accused of shooting to death eight people, and crews were detonating the devices as more details about the suspected gunman came to light.

Christopher Bryan Speight, a 39-year-old security guard, surrendered to police at daybreak Wednesday after leading authorities on an 18-hour manhunt following the slayings at a house in rural central Virginia where deputies found a mortally wounded man and seven bodies.

As of Wednesday afternoon, bomb squads had detonated seven explosives. The blasting was expected to continue into Thursday.

Speight had no weapons when he surrendered. He was wearing a bulletproof vest over a black fleece jacket, camouflage pants and mud-caked boots. Neither the sheriff nor a state police spokeswoman would disclose what Speight said when he gave up.

Authorities remained tightlipped on most details surrounding the slayings, including any possible motive. Nor did they immediately identify any of the victims or their relationship to the suspect. Investigators would say only that he knew his victims.

Speight, who was jailed while awaiting charges, co-owned and lived in the home where some of the bodies were found.

Reporters were allowed to see the home Wednesday. The two-story house had a big patio, where there was furniture, a children’s bicycle and a plastic basketball hoop. The yard was landscaped and well-manicured.

Neighbor Monte W. Mays said Speight’s mother deeded the house to Speight and his sister in 2006, shortly before she died of brain cancer.

Mays, the county’s retired commissioner of accounts, said Speight was a good neighbor. They waved as they passed each other on the road and sent their dogs out to play with one another.

“All the dealings I’ve ever had with him have been cordial and polite,” Mays said. “We got along fine.”

Speight had long been a gun enthusiast and enjoyed target shooting at a range on his property, Mays said. But the shooting recently became a daily occurrence, with Speight firing what Mays said were high-powered rifles.

“Then we noticed he was doing it at nighttime,” and the gunfire started going deeper into the woods, Mays said.

Mays said the entire community is devastated and wondering what triggered the slayings.

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14 years ago

This was bad. Eventually the local mounties are going to have to start talking. Appomattox isn’t far from my home turf, and was the ending place of the Civil War, where Lee signed surrender to Grant. I suspect this was one still fighting his great-great-great granddaddies war, but I suppose we’ll see.

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