IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

7 found dead in two Tennessee homes; suspect in custody

Investigators are looking for a possible motive behind the deaths and trying to establish if the suspect knew the victims.

A suspect was in custody early Sunday after seven people were found dead at two homes in Tennessee, authorities said.

Michael Cummins, 25, was detained in what authorities believe to be related homicides, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Four victims were found at one address and one at a second location in Sumner County, bureau spokesman Josh Devine said at a news conference.

The bureau later said two more bodies were recovered at the first address near the town of Westmoreland, just south of the Kentucky state line. A critically injured victim was also found there, authorities said.

Additional details about the victims were not immediately available.

Cummins was initially considered a person of interest, but now investigators say they are treating him as a suspect.

He was traced to a creek bed approximately one mile from the first crime scene. A SWAT team was deployed and at least one officer fired his weapon, striking Cummins during the arrest.

He was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not immediately believed to be life-threatening.

Investigators say they are now trying to identify the victims. Their bodies will be sent to Nashville for autopsies.

They are also looking for a possible motive behind the deaths and trying to establish if Cummins knew the victims.