BAYTOWN, Texas – Two bodies discovered Sunday have been linked to a suspect who was shot and killed by officers after going on a shooting rampage last week, killing two and injuring two others, bringing the total number of victims to six, according to the Baytown Police Department.
The gunman was identified as Ron Welch, a 33-year-old Baytown resident.
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At 1:45 p.m., police were dispatched to an oil field located near Causeway Road and Evergreen after a caller reported finding two bodies. Upon arrival, officers spoke to the person about the discovery.
The identities of decedents were unknown at the time of the report.
According to police, further investigation tied Welch to the case. He is the same person police said is responsible for shooting four others less than a week prior.
RELATED: Gunman identified after killing 2 men, injuring 2 women during shooting spree in Baytown, police say
According to Baytown Chief of Police John Stringer, on Oct. 5, officers were dispatched to a shooting call on Tri City Road near Evergreen around 6:30 p.m. after Welch reportedly got into an argument with a man and a woman who were sitting inside a vehicle.
It is believed the couple and Welch may have been neighbors, Stringer noted.
Officers said, at some point during the argument, Welch shot the male victim in the head and also shot the woman. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the woman was transported to the hospital in stable condition.
Welch fled the area.
Moments later, police were called to a second shooting scene nearby at the Bay Oaks Harbor trailer park where Welch allegedly shot another woman. That woman, who was a passerby, also survived.
Later, Welch got into an argument with another man at the trailer park and shot him. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. That victim was unrelated to the initial shooting scenes, police said.
Officers later came across Welch, who was shot and killed. It was initially unclear if Welch opened fire on police, however, Stringer said officers wouldn’t have shot him unless they were threatened.
“Anytime an officer discharges their weapon, it has to be in defense of their own life or the life of another person,” Stringer said. “Yes, there was a physical threat.”
Investigators have yet to discover a motive for the various shootings.