Amber Alert: Suspect fatally shoots man, then kidnaps family, authorities say

MAPLE GROVE TOWNSHIP, Minn. (FOX 9) – A man was found fatally shot before a suspect kidnapped a pregnant mother and her four children at gunpoint, according to the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office.

READ MORE: Amber Alert canceled: Family found safe, suspect in custody

Fatal shooting, kidnapping and Amber Alert

Crow Wing County officers responded to a shooting on Loerch Road in Maple Grove Township, east of Brainerd, around 1:50 a.m. Friday, Nov. 1, where they found 62-year-old Lyle Maske of Brainerd dead Gunshot wound.

Authorities identified the suspect as a 35-year-old man from Brainerd. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) determined that after shooting Maske, the suspect also burned down a house on the property.

The suspect then kidnapped his pregnant girlfriend and her four children at gunpoint, the BCA said. He fired a rifle shot into the ceiling of the house and forced the family to leave the house with him.

The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office said it has “reason to believe the shooting death and apparent kidnapping are related incidents.” The BCA determined that the fatal shooting and kidnapping occurred at “a separate nearby residence.”

The abduction of the woman and her four children around 1:50 a.m. Friday prompted an Amber Alert, with authorities noting the suspect fled in an unknown direction in a white van.

The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office said the woman and her children were found unharmed around 7:15 a.m. Friday when the suspect's vehicle was located in neighboring Morrison County.

The suspect was taken into custody without incident, authorities said.

What we don't know

Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting or said what prompted the kidnapping.

No charges have yet been brought against the suspect.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.