Man kills sons, 4 and 5, then himself after shootout with St. Louis cops
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ethan Cadenbach,5, and his 4-year-old brother Owen. (Fox2Now)
A St. Louis man took his own life after he killed his two young sons in a local park, according to reports Sunday.
Fox2Now reports Christopher Cadenbach, 43, killed himself in Cliff Cave County Park Saturday night after a shootout with cops.
The station reported that police had issued an Amber Alert an hour earlier saying Cadenbach had abducted his sons Owen, 4, and Ethan, 5, in their mother’s Ford Focus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cadenbach’s mother reported the abduction to police.
St. Louis County Deputy Police Chief Ken Cox said the woman became alarmed when Cadenbach told him that he wasn’t going to be taken alive and talked of “suicide by cop.”
Cox said Cadenbach had a warrant out for his arrest on a domestic violence charge. Police in Franklin County issued the warrant earlier Saturday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox2Now reported that a park ranger saw the Ford around 8 p.m. Saturday and called police, the station reported.
“The [police] helicopter was up, spotted the car and saw somebody moving toward the car,” Cox said. “Officers responded down there and as soon as they go down there shots rang out, apparently shooting his children.”
Cox said Cadenbach then shot at the officers who fired back and then killed himself.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cadenbach had gone to his mother’s house Saturday afternoon. She was watching the children.
Cox said Cadenbach took his mother and the boys to a park for a few hours.
He said Cadenbach’s estranged wife had an order of protection. It wasn’t clear if the order included the children.
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