2 Dead after Kidnapping, Police Chase in Missouri, Illinois

Authorities say two people are dead following a kidnapping, attempted carjacking and lengthy police chase that started in Missouri and ended in southern Illinois.

Police allege 39-year-old Leslie Austin kidnapped his girlfriend and their child Tuesday night in Jefferson City, Missouri. The woman was shot during the abduction but survived.

She was able to escape with her child after Austin drove into Illinois, where Austin then fatally shot a 67-year-old man during an attempted carjacking.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Austin died after exchanging gunfire with police who stopped his vehicle by using “stop sticks” along a roadway in Greenville, Illinois, about 175 miles (282 kilometers) from Jefferson City. It wasn’t immediately known if Austin shot himself or was shot by officers.

Police say the woman was being treated at a hospital Wednesday. Her condition hasn’t been released.