Latest: Police: Man being held is only suspect in shootings


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ARAPAHO, Okla. (AP) — The latest on a shooting incident in western Oklahoma that left at least two motorists dead (all times local):

1:30 p.m.

Oklahoma state police say a man jailed on a preliminary complaint of driving under the influence is the 'only person' being investigated for a pair of suspected road rage killings along Interstate 40.

A spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Jessica Brown, said Thursday afternoon that Jeremy Doss Hardy and his vehicle are the ones described by victims and witnesses as the suspect vehicle involved in the shootings. Hardy, 36, of Pasadena, Texas, is jailed in Custer County.

Brown says Hardy "is our only person we're investigating at this point" for the shootings. Brown says OSBI investigators are preparing an affidavit that will be submitted to the district attorney. Brown says formal charges could be filed Friday.

Authorities have said at least four vehicles were hit along a three-county stretch of Interstate 40, killing a man traveling with his wife near Hydro and a woman more than 10 miles away in Weatherford.

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10:10 a.m.

Authorities have identified the two people killed in suspected road rage shootings along Interstate 40 in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says 45-year-old Jeffrey Kent Powell of Arapaho was traveling with his wife when their vehicle was struck by gunfire. The agency says Powell was pronounced dead at the scene near Hydro, which is about 60 miles west of Oklahoma City.

Investigators say another person was fatally shot about 10 miles from there. The agency says 63-year-old Billie Jean West of Lone Wolf was hit by gunfire and pronounced dead at a hospital in Weatherford.

The agency says the suspect arrested in the case is being held in the Custer County jail on a driving under the influence complaint, but more charges are likely.

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9:30 a.m.

Authorities say a man targeting motorists randomly from his pickup truck shot at least four vehicles along a three-county stretch of Interstate 40, killing a man traveling with his wife near Hydro and a woman more than 10 miles away in Weatherford.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jessica Brown said Thursday the agency is taking over the investigation.

Brown says the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is investigating at least two other cars that were struck by gunfire, besides the victims' vehicles.

Custer County Sheriff Bruce Peoples said reports came in at about 11:50 p.m. Wednesday of a man firing at vehicles on Interstate 40 in Canadian County, which is adjacent to Oklahoma City.

Peoples says the suspect surrendered without incident shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday in Custer County.

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6:40 a.m.

A western Oklahoma sheriff says two people are dead after a man drove through three counties on Interstate 40, firing randomly from his pickup truck.

Multiple other vehicles were struck by gunfire in the incident early Thursday, and the suspect surrendered without incident.

Custer County Sheriff Bruce Peoples says reports came in late Wednesday of a man firing at vehicles on Interstate 40 in Canadian County in central Oklahoma. The sheriff says the man drove west on the interstate and continued firing at vehicles, killing two people in separate shootings about 10 miles apart.

The sheriff says the suspect surrendered early Thursday and is being booked in the Custer County jail. He says authorities have not yet interviewed the suspect but that road rage is suspected in the shootings.

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