A history of violence emerges as we look closer at the man behind a mass shooting in Tift County.
The shooter, 43-year old Darrell Ward, who killed his ex-in-laws shot his ex-wife, then killed himself had previously attacked his ex-wife Kayla Peters.
Ward previously served ten years in prison for a violent attack and rape of a Lowndes County woman.
Some of the violent charges against him in that case were dismissed in a plea deal and he'd been out on the streets since 2007.
Darrell Ward spent 10 years in Autry State Prison for pleading guilty to rape, but in a plea agreement charges of false imprisonment, aggravated stalking and burglary were dismissed and after some investigating he also had an additional history as well.
43 year old Darrell Ward committed suicide after he shot and killed his ex-in laws Shirley and Junior Peters and shot his ex wife Kayla several times.
WALB News 10 has learned that he shot Shirley and Junior Peters Sunday night, but held his ex wife hostage for several hours then shot her several times at sun-up.
Apparently thinking she was dead, he then killed himself.
Our investigation reveals Darrell Ward had a violent history of crimes against women.
In 1997 Ward pled guilty to raping his first wife, but in a plea deal charges of aggravated stalking burglary and false imprisonment were dismissed.
In 2008 he was slapped with a domestic violence charge after he hit Kayla Peters but a year later that charge was dropped because she denied it happened.
And in 2011, he pled guilty for failure to register as a sex offender.
"Believe me..if you haven't met someone who has committed a sexual offense you've never met someone who is a master at control and manipulation," said Dr. Cheryl Kaiser.
Psychologist Dr. Cheryl Kaiser says control and manipulation are the basis of a sexual offense.
"A significantly younger person is going to be much easier to control and manipulate," she said.
Kayla Peters was only 27, much younger than Darrell Ward. She filed for divorce and that was finalized earlier this month. It could have been what sent him over the edge. "When the person that is being controlled sets limits and decides they are not going to be controlled anymore that can often be the time when things are the most dangerous," said Kaiser.
Kaiser says there is no way to predict what someone is going to do in the future but past behavior is a good indicator of future behavior.
If you are with someone with a violent history psychologists recommend not pushing those people or getting into an altercation with those people because once the person gets beyond a certain point, they are not going to be able to turn back.
We spoke with a man today who says he is Kayla Peters boyfriend. He said he recovery is progressing and she remains hospitalized in Macon.
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