One dead after shooting on Poplar Bluff overpass

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Law enforcement officials said Monday the suspect in a morning stabbing shot and killed himself on a Poplar Bluff overpass, after firing at passing cars.

Jeffrey Carter Jr., 31, of Poplar Bluff was pronounced dead at the scene before 11 a.m. Monday, according to information from law enforcement.

Butler County (Missouri) Coroner Jim Akers confirmed the death and said Carter took his own life.

Butler County Sheriff's Department began receiving 911 calls about the incident around 10 a.m., according to Sheriff Mark Dobbs.

According to witnesses, Carter was stopped on the inside lane of northbound Highway 60 and Highway 67 overpass. Deputies were told Carter was armed with a handgun and had fired at passing vehicles.

"Bystanders, including one former police officer, were trying to keep him from jumping," said Dobbs. "Prior to that, he had apparently shot at cars."

No injuries were reported, and Dobbs said the department has received no reports of vehicles being hit.

Dobbs said Carter turned the weapon on himself as soon as deputies arrived.

Poplar Bluff police said they were contacted earlier in the morning about a woman being stabbed in a home inside the city limits. The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center for treatment, according to Police Chief Danny Whiteley.

Carter was considered a person of interest in the stabbing, according to law enforcement.