Austin Robert Drummond

A man suspected of targeting and killing a member of his girlfriend’s family and leaving behind a abandoned person in front of a stranger’s house was arrested in Tennessee.

After the week-long pursuit of Austin Robert Drummond, local authorities were seen in Jackson to establish early-morning shelter for residents near Jackson. Police warned residents to lock doors and windows when they searched him.

Police accused Drummond, 28, of killing the baby’s parents, grandmother and teenage uncle, and then giving up the baby in front of a stranger’s house.

Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley said the arrest “signs an important step to restore security to our community.”

David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), called the killing “the target” and said the suspect had a relationship with the family.

Police elaborated on this after their arrest and said Tuesday that the murderer targeted members of his girlfriend’s family.

Authorities did not provide motives, but said at least one of his girlfriend’s sisters was killed with her mother.

Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley said in a news conference that Drummond was caught after calling law enforcement at 8:00 CDT (14:00 BST) on Tuesday, saying they had seen the suspect. He said they arrested him at 9:05 local time.

The arrest comes a week after the baby was left in a car seat, prompting a search for parents on July 29 at the door of a stranger in Tigret, Tennessee.

Shortly thereafter, the four family members died about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Tiptonville. It prompted Drummond’s statewide raids.

Authorities say the baby is safe and cared for.

Photos captured by Drummond shared by TBI show him wearing a black Jackson hoodie in Jackson about 70 miles south of Tiptonville, where he was found dead.

The victims were identified as James M. Wilson, 21, and Adrianna Williams, 20, of the baby’s parents. Cortney Rose, 38, the baby’s grandmother; and Braydon Williams, 15, the baby’s uncle.

Three more people were arrested after the four-person murder and were charged with assisting Drummond.

Before being arrested, police released footage that appeared to show Drummond holding a gun and wearing camouflage clothes while trying to enter the building.

On Monday, authorities scrambled to end the search and provided $32,500 info to obtain the information that led to his arrest.

Drummond faces charges including four counts of first-degree murder, one aggravated charge of kidnapping, four counts of possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm during a dangerous felony commission.

He was previously convicted of robbing a convenience store with a gun in 2013. He was released 13 years after being released in September 2024, according to Tennessee Prison Records.

In 2020, a district attorney warned the state’s parole board not to release Drummond as early as possible, citing threats to jurors and multiple disciplines in prison.

“This behavior clearly shows that Drummond does not want to recover and does not have the ability to live in society,” Jody Pickens wrote.