FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – UPDATE 8/19/2025 11:25 AM: Sheriff Jess McMullen provided an update on the incident, saying the preliminary investigation indicates it was an isolated event, possibly involving a single targeted individual.
The victim has been identified as John Middleton, 49, of Mt. Carbon, and the suspect as Michael Hall, 53, also of Mt. Carbon. Both men are deceased.
Three other individuals sustained minor injuries from shotgun pellets and are believed to have been bystanders who were not specifically targeted.
The motive remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing.
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ORIGINAL STORY 8/18/2025: The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office announced that multiple agencies responded to a fatal shooting in the Mt. Carbon area on Monday, August 18.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., deputies received reports of a gunshot victim and an active shooter.
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Fayette County deputies were joined by West Virginia State Police troopers, Montgomery Police Department officers, and Division of Natural Resources (DNR) officers in responding to the scene.
Officials located the suspected shooter inside his residence, deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Another individual was found dead outside under a neighboring carport.
Authorities are withholding the identity of this victim pending notification of next of kin.
Three additional people sustained minor gunshot wounds. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening, and they are receiving medical care.
Detectives from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office remain on scene, and the investigation is ongoing.
The previously issued shelter-in-place advisory has been lifted, and there is no longer a threat to the public.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office at 304-574-4226.
