LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Ala. — Authorities said a Lauderdale County man was in custody Wednesday morning after attacking three children and an adult with a machete.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said the suspect, Kyle Seeley, attacked three children under the age of 10 and his own brother at a home on County Road 57 in the Underwood-Petersville community. The call came in to 911 at 7:11 a.m. Wednesday.
Seeley was charged with six counts of attempted murder.
Two of the children and Seeley’s brother were airlifted to Birmingham to be treated for multiple lacerations. Authorities said the injuries were serious but did not appear to be life-threatening.
Seeley barricaded himself in a building behind the home where the attack happened, Singleton said. The Florence Police Department’s SWAT team had been on the scene trying to convince him to surrender, but he did not respond to officers.
SWAT officers put gas into the building and Seeley tried to run, Singleton said. Deputies and Florence police officers tackled him in a pasture behind the building and took him into custody.
Authorities said Seeley has about a dozen outstanding warrants on charges not related to the situation Wednesday morning. Florence Police Chief Ron Tyler said his department had about 10 warrants for charges including resisting arrest, attempting to elude, public intoxication and drug paraphernalia possession.
Singleton said they were investigating the motive behind the attack, but said there were some “family dynamics” that could have been factors. Seeley’s parents also were at the home at the time, and his father was the one who took the machete away from him, Singleton said.
There’s no word yet on what charges Seeley faces in connection with Wednesday’s incident.
