United States: Police said late Tuesday that they had arrested the suspect in the weekend killing of four people at an Oklahoma marijuana farm.
According to a late night Facebook post by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), Wu Chen was taken into custody by Miami Beach police just before 4 p.m. Central Time without incident and transported to the Miami-Dade County Detention Center.
It added that the arrest occurred "after a car tag reader flagged down a vehicle being driven." The suspect facing extradition to Oklahoma will be charged with murder and shooting with intent to kill.
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OSBI also shared a photo of a man sitting on a sidewalk without shoes, with what appears to be handcuffs around his back, provided by US Marshals.
Three Chinese men and a woman were allegedly shot dead on a 10-acre (4 ha) property west of Hennessey, about 90 kilometers (55 mi) northwest of Oklahoma City, according to authorities . , A fifth victim, also a Chinese national, was injured and taken to a hospital in Oklahoma City.
Due to a "significant language barrier", the victims had not yet been identified and next of kin had not yet been informed.
Authorities had previously said they had a suspicion in mind but were holding off on releasing their identities for the safety of others.
OSBI said in a news release Tuesday that "the suspect was inside that building for a considerable period of time before the hanging began." "According to the preliminary results of the investigation, this does not appear to be an accidental incident."
OSBI Captain Stan Florence said a day earlier that the victims found dead on Sunday night were known to the suspects.
They are all familiar, said Florence. We do not know whether they were colleagues or relatives, but there is no doubt that they were all acquainted with each other.
Quadruple murder is being investigated in this case. An investigation is also being conducted by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Control.
In recent years, the agency has focused on marijuana smuggling and illegal marijuana growing. However, agency spokesman Mark Woodward said Tuesday that it was too early to say that was the main focus of the investigation.
Since this is a marijuana farm, it goes without saying that according to state law, they need a license from us and the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, Woodward said. "Whether it was obtained legally or whether it was obtained through fraud is one of the things we are looking into. We will factor that into our investigation."
The site has an active license for medical marijuana growing operations, according to Porsha Riley, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
Authorities declined to say whether 14 marijuana-growing operations in the Hennessey area were responsible for the shooting, and none of the 14 responded to emails from The Associated Press.
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According to Florence, the Kingfisher County Sheriff's Office first responded to the hostage situation at the ranch and sought assistance from state officials.
According to Florence, police searched the property late Sunday night and into Monday morning using drones, helicopters and ground agents, but they were unable to locate the suspect.
He said that a lot needs to be explored in this matter. That said, we need some time to process it.
In 2018, Oklahoma voters approved medical marijuana use, and the market grew rapidly as a result of the open-ended law, which imposed fewer restrictions than other states.
Voters will decide in March whether to legalize drug use for recreational purposes.
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In the midterm elections this month, Maryland and Missouri approved the use of marijuana for recreational purposes, bringing the total to 21 states with such laws. In the midterm elections, voters in Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota rejected legalization initiatives.
