RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. — A family dispute over land escalated into a deadly shooting Friday, May 8, 2026, leaving three people dead, Sheriff Bryan Bailey said in a press release.
Just before 4 p.m., deputies from the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from the 1400 block of Monterey Road reporting two people had been shot and an armed suspect had retreated into a residence, Bailey said. The sheriff’s office deployed numerous deputies, its SWAT team, negotiators and technical response personnel.
Investigators said the dispute involved multiple family members and that the family was also involved in a firearms-related business, prompting requests for assistance from the FBI Jackson Field Office, the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clinton Bomb Squad. Deputies established a perimeter, evacuated nearby residents and attempted negotiations before using armored and technical equipment to breach the residence.
During a search, deputies found the suspect dead in a bathroom from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Bailey said. The Rankin County deputy coroner transported the deceased, who were identified as Walter E. Birdsong Jr., 62; Amanda L. Birdsong, 43; and the suspect, Kurt Tyler Birdsong, 56.
The Rankin County Sheriff’s Office is working with the FBI and ATF Jackson offices as the investigation continues. Bailey expressed appreciation to assisting agencies and asked the community to pray for the family and friends affected by the tragedy. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
