Ruby Taverner, Suspected of Killing Partner and Brother, Found Dead

A Michigan woman suspected of killing of her boyfriend and her brother this weekend reportedly has been found dead.

Police had been searching for 22-year-old Ruby Taverner after the bodies of her boyfriend Ray Muscat, 26, and her brother Bishop Taverner, 25, were found in an apartment in Independence Township, Michigan, which is northwest of Detroit, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office had previously identified Ruby Taverner as the suspect in the killings.

But on Monday, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said she had been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to local news station WXYZ.

Ruby Taverner was found dead in the woods not far from the apartment where the shootings took place, news outlet Local 4 reported, citing a source.

The sheriff's office had earlier warned people to not approach Ruby Taverner if they came across her, saying said she was believed to be armed and dangerous.

Authorities said she had three handguns registered in her name, including one that had been purchased in the past week.

Deputies had responded to a 911 call at the Independence Square Apartments at about 3:20 a.m. on Sunday, according to The Detroit News.

A woman who lived in the apartment had called 911 saying she had been awakened by the sound of multiple gunshots, according to the newspaper.

Responding deputies found Bishop Taverner's body in the living room of the apartment, while Muscat's body was found in a bedroom.

Investigators said they believed Ruby Taverner had fled the apartment on foot.

Authorities said her cell phone and car was found at the apartment complex.

According to the sheriff's office, she was formerly known as Martin Taverner while Ray Muscat was formerly known as Amber Muscat.

No further details or a motive for the shootings have been released.

Newsweek has reached out to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for additional comment.

The deaths come during what has been described as an epidemic of gun violence that continues to claim lives across the U.S. This weekend in Milwaukee, a teenager was killed in a triple shooting outside a McDonald's and a mother in Chicago learned that she had lost a second son to gun violence while she was getting ready to celebrate Mother's Day.

More than 15,000 people have died due to gun violence so far in 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a database that collects information about shootings across the country.

About 6,700 of those deaths were due to homicide, murder, unintentional or defensive gun use while about 8,500 deaths were due to suicide.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours every day.