South Carolina police fatally shoot showerhead-wielding double homicide suspect
A man who brutally murdered his mother and girlfriend in a house fire, expressing a desire to be killed by police, was fatally shot by eight officers mistaking a chrome shower head for a gun, as revealed in a police department presentation of evidence. Gary Pratt Whitten, who was on bail and wearing an ankle monitor with orders to stay away from his girlfriend’s home after a previous gun incident, committed the heinous act on January 17. Despite data showing Whitten’s presence at the scene for hours, the monitoring company failed to alert authorities until he removed the ankle bracelet just before the fire was reported. Whitten’s family had previously contacted 911, expressing concerns about his mental state and desire