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Pyrexia frontman arrested for triple homicide

Erick Shute, who was the frontman for NYC metal band Pyrexia on their 2007 and 2013 albums, has been arrested for triple homicide, WSAZ reports (via Pitchfork). Yesterday evening (6/13), he allegedly shot Jack Douglas, Travis Bartley (24), and Willie Bartley (53) in West Virginia. The Journal News reported:

Three adult males were shot and killed in what was apparently a property dispute near Great Cacapon, and the gunman driving a white pickup truck was still at large as of Monday evening, according to Morgan County Sheriff Vincent Shambaugh.

The shooting occurred in a rural area in Morgan County just off of Gamble Lane.

“It was a property dispute over some firewood, or something of that nature,” Shambaugh said, adding he couldn’t provide any more details. “It’s going to be a long night.”

Shute said in a since-deleted Facebook post that was provided to NJ.com, that “the shooting was an act of self defense and that the men stole from him and threatened him.”

MetroNews reports that Morgan County Sheriff Vince Shambaugh referred to him as a “sovereign citizen” and said:

These folks, they don’t want to pay taxes. They don’t want to recognize local government. They want to build these compounds back in these places away from everybody. They’re preparing for the end times and to be the survivors. He’s tried to recruit some locals to help him build his compound with his little group of sovereigns. He’d talked to the locals about his compound with a cache of weapons and ammunition stored there. That’s where they are all going to go in the end times.

UPDATE: Pyrexia posted a statement:

As we watch this event unfold , we are shocked and saddened to learn that our former singer Erick has been involved in what seems to be a shooting by his own hands. Although all the details have yet to unravel, and he hasn’t been an active member of Pyrexia for some time now , we have been rocked by this horrible news. There’s no question the man had obscure views and was an odd and quiet person at times , but you try and accept a persons shortcomings or different viewpoints. No one saw this in him.