MAPLE GROVE TOWNSHIP, Min. (FOX 9) – A man was found was 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

Deadly attack, kidnapping and Amber Alert

Crow Wing County deputies responded to a shooting around 1:50 a.m. Friday, Nov. 1, on Loerch Road in Maple Grove Township, east of Brainerd, where they found Lyle Maske, 62, of Brainerd, apparently dead. They found it. gunshot wound

Authorities identified the suspect as a 35-year-old man from Brainerd. Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang told FOX 9 the suspect burned down a shed on the property after shooting Mask.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said the suspect then kidnapped his pregnant girlfriend and her four children at gunpoint. He fired a rifle into the ceiling of the house and forced the family to leave with him.

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

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

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

Authorities said the suspect was taken into custody without incident.

what we don’t know

Authorities neither explained the motive for the attack nor said what led to the kidnapping.

Sheriff Klang did not provide details about the relationships between the suspect and the victims, only telling FOX 9 that everyone was a neighbor. The suspect talked about his relationship with the pregnant kidnap victim and shared his children on social media.

No criminal complaint has been filed against the suspect yet.

This is an evolving story. Check back for updates.