Calif. Killing Spree Suspect Found Dead

Sept. 10, 2001 -- A bloody weekend rampage ended early this morning when a man suspected of killing five people in the Sacramento area shot himself in the head after a high-speed chase and gunfight with police, officials said.

Joseph Ferguson, 20, who had been recently suspended from his job as a Burns security guard, allegedly shot to death five people in three locations during a 24-hour killing spree that began late Saturday. It was the second multiple slaying case in the area in less than a month.

Early Sunday, Ferguson killed two security guards who had been his co-workers and took a car at a Sacramento equipment yard, police said. He then reportedly drove to a marina where he shot and killed two more people, and then to a zoo where he handcuffed a security guard and took her car.

During the day Sunday, Ferguson allegedly went to the home of a former supervisor and took the man and his wife hostage for 12 hours. Authorities said he eventually killed the supervisor, an employee of Burns security who was not immediately identified.

Police said he videotaped some of his crimes throughout the day, and vowed on camera to kill others.

"In essence, he gave his final message to us and to his family. He pretty much was bent on killing some additional people and his message was that he was going to shoot it out with some police officer," said Sacramento Police Chief Arturo Venegas.

In the barely audible video, Ferguson, sporting a military-style haircut and brandishing a gun, apologizes to the relatives of his victims but says, "I giveth and I taketh away … that's how it goes in [expletive] life. I put on a hell of a show. I've taken four victims, this should be good enough to last about a week on the news. It's time to feed the news media."

"I'm going to make L.A. look like a [expletive] joke," Ferguson added. "I'm going to go down in [expletive] history."

Chase and Shootout, Then a Suicide

Ferguson was spotted by California Highway Patrol officers at about 11:30 p.m. PT Sunday in Rancho Cordova, just outside of Sacramento, Calif.

Police say he then led them on a high-speed chase for about half a mile, shooting as he drove and hitting one of the officers and a civilian.

The CHP officer was shot in the arm and expected to recover; the bystander, whose name was not released, was reported in serious to critical condition with a gunshot wound in the abdomen.

The chase came to an end when the suspect crashed into a pole in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant, and a gun battle erupted, police reported.

He finally shot himself in the head early this morning, ending the standoff, police said.

"This guy's a nut," said Sacramento County Sheriff Lou Blanas. "He was bent on killing more people, and thank God that we were able to stop him."

Troubled Final Days of Shooting Suspect

Ferguson had been despondent after a recent breakup with his girlfriend — 20-year-old Nina Susu, a fellow security guard and one of his alleged victims.

Her body and that of another unidentified female Burns guard were found at about 11:20 p.m. Saturday at a city equipment yard south of Sacramento.

Two other victims were identified by police: Burns security guard George Bernardino and Derek Glimstad, a city employee working at the boat dock, who were both shot and killed at Miller Park Marina, near the city's downtown.

The bloody crime scenes and tense manhunts have become shockingly familiar to the Sacramento area.

Three weeks ago, Ukrainian immigrant Nikolay Soltys allegedly killed six family members, including his wife and their unborn child, before leading police on a tense 10-day manhunt.

Soltys was arrested at his mother's house, and arraigned last week.

Telephone Vow to ‘Outdo Soltys’

After the initial killings, Ferguson allegedly called other former co-workers from a cellular phone, telling them he planned to "outdo Soltys."

Federal agents and U.S. Marshals joined the Sacramento police in a the hunt for the suspect. They believed Ferguson was heavily armed, and may have been wearing a bulletproof vest. Rounds or shells from an AK-47, a shotgun and a 9mm handgun were found at the murder scenes, according to The Associated Press.

The news agency also reported that more weapons were found at the suspect's home, along with white supremacist literature. ABCNEWS affiliate KXTV in Sacramento and ABC Radio contributed to this report.