Tulsa calmer after suspect killers held

Published on 09/04/2012 00:00

OKLAHOMA police acting on a tip-off have arrested two white men for a shooting spree in Tulsa that left three dead, two wounded and rattled a predominantly black area of the city.

Tulsa police spokesman Jason Willingham said police were not prepared to label the shootings racially motivated hate crimes after the arrest of Jake England, 19, and Alvin Watts, 32, on murder charges early yesterday.

“At this point we don’t have a motive,” he said. “Hopefully in the coming days we’ll be more clear on what the reason was.”

In response to a tip-off, police put the suspects under surveillance and they were arrested at a home north of Tulsa. England and Watts were charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of shooting with intent to kill, police said.

The shootings early on Friday set the predominantly black north side of Tulsa on edge.

Tulsa city councillor Jack Henderson, who represents the district in which the shootings took place, said witnesses told police the suspect drove through the neighbourhood, stopping several people on the street and asking for directions, then opening fire.

Among the dead was one woman, identified as Dannaer Fields, 49, and two men, Bobby Clark, 54, and William Allen, 31. The two inured are expected to survive.