Francis Alcantar-Chavez dies in fatal Missouri police shooting

Francis Alcantar-Chavez dies in fatal Missouri police shooting

Fatal Missouri police shooting death of Francis Alcantar-Chavez

Francis Alcantar-Chavez, a 23-year-old man accused of murdering his mother and stepfather in Arizona, was shot and killed by police in Missouri following a violent multi-state pursuit that ended Tuesday evening.

Authorities confirmed that Alcantar-Chavez was the suspect in the double homicide of 62-year-old Troy Templeton and 53-year-old Cynthia Templeton, who were discovered dead from gunshot wounds in their Taylor, Arizona, home on Sunday night.

The nationwide alert for Alcantar-Chavez and his vehicle led law enforcement in Concordia, Missouri, to attempt a pursuit around 6 p.m. Tuesday. He managed to evade them at first, but Missouri State Highway Patrol later located him on a motorcycle.

During the second pursuit, Alcantar-Chavez crashed into a patrol vehicle and fled on foot. In the course of the chase, he opened fire on officers, striking a trooper in the bulletproof vest. Troopers returned fire, fatally shooting him.

The injured trooper sustained minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. He is expected to recover.

The Templetons, both members of the Arizona Rangers, had been married for just over a year and were found dead by Cynthia’s ex-husband, who was returning two children to the residence. Cynthia’s 21-year-old daughter was also present in the home during the murders but was unharmed.

Investigations are ongoing as authorities work to determine the full circumstances and motive behind the killings and subsequent pursuit.