Former Pyrexia frontman Erick Shute has been arrested in West Chester, Pa., after fleeing his West Virginia home following the alleged murder of three individuals on Monday, June 13. Shute himself has claimed self-defense, though he allegedly ambushed three men with an AR-15 rifle.

The incident took place in Great Capacon, W.V., where Shute reportedly had existing disagreements with the now slain men. Herald Mail Media has described the frontman as an "end of times" prepper and further investigation on his property turned up lots of food, weapons and ammunition. The men, Jack Douglas and Travis and Willie Bartley, were using a chainsaw to either cut or clear wood on a piece of property adjacent to Shute's prior to the shootings.

One man managed to escape as shots were being fired, eventually dialing the police and alerting them of the incident. The escapee also described Shute as taking refuge behind an oak tree and firing from a distance of 20 to 25 yards out. Police stations in the surrounding areas issued alerts for Shute, who has since been taken into custody.

Shute had been issuing statements on his personal Facebook page amidst the search, which have since been removed. A screenshot was taken and uploaded as seen below. Shute's statement reads, "This was self defense. I talked to a cop and he even agreed this is an open and shut case of self defense and that they probably won’t even pursue charges. I am just waiting to talk to the prosecutor. I have nothing to hide. Media can contact me on my cell. I am open to talk. These guys stole over $20,000 pf my stuff and sold it for drugs and threatened to my face before. They even unscrewed [sic] brake lines while [I] was asleep. Everyone not on drugs on the mountain hates them. These are known thieves and drug addicts."

Shute has a history of violence, having been arrested in 2011 for aggravated assault of a police officer, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice. During the eight hour search for the alleged assailant, two judges and local officers' wives were relocated to safer places as Shute had threatened them in the past.

Pyrexia have released a statement regarding these accusations. The band posted on their Facebook page, "As we watch this event unfold, we are shocked and saddened to learn that our former singer Erick has been involved in what seems to be a shooting by his own hands. Although all the details have yet to unravel, and he hasn't been an active member of Pyrexia for some time now, we have been rocked by this horrible news. There's no question the man had obscure views and was an odd and quiet person at times, but you try and accept a person's shortcomings or different viewpoints. No one saw this in him."

Shute fronted the New York death metal outfit most recently and had contributed to two records, Age of the Wicked in 2007 and 2013's Feast of Iniquity.

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