Naked postal worker accused of killing bosses faces federal murder charges

UPDATE @ 5:55 p.m. (Dec. 27)

A federal murder complaint filed today accused 24-year-old Deshaune Stewart of killing two U.S. government employees for performing their official duties.

Stewart, an apparently disgruntled postal worker, is accused of fatally shooting his supervisor Dec. 23 at the Dublin post office, and then slaying the Dublin postmaster at a Columbus apartment complex, our media partner WBNS-TV in Columbus reported.

Authorities said Stewart was naked during both attacks.

Stewart allegedly killed Lance Dempsey, 52, at the post office, and then three hours later Postmaster Ginger Ballard, 53, was found dead between two vehicles with blunt-force trauma to her head, WBNS reported.

Authorities said Stewart had been under investigation at the time of the attacks.

UPDATE @ 6 p.m. (Dec. 23)

A U.S. Postal employee is accused killing the Dublin Postmaster and his supervisor in separate shootings today at the Dublin post office and a Columbus apartment complex.

Deshaune K. Stewart is charged with aggravated murder for the pair of killings.

According to court documents, three witnesses said they saw Stewart, who was naked, shoot 52-year-old Lance Herrera-Dempsey in the Dublin post office shortly before 5 a.m. Herrera-Dempsey was Stewart’s direct supervisor, and Stewart was under investigation by the U.S Postal Service, police told our media partner, WBNS-TV in Columbus.

Stewart then is accused of fatally shooting 53-year-old Ginger E. Ballard, the Dublin Postmaster, at the Bowland Place apartments in north Columbus. A 3-year-old child was involved in the incident but was safe inside a vehicle, police said.

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UPDATE @ noon

Columbus police arrested a suspect in two deadly shootings today at a Dublin post office and an apartment complex in Columbus.

The suspect’s name has not been released.

Dublin police were called around 5 a.m. to the post office on Emerald Parkway, after 52-year-old Lance Dempsey was killed inside. Dempsey was the suspect’s supervisor, and the suspect was under investigation by the U.S. Postal Service, according to police, our media partner WBNS-TV in Columbus reported.

After the post office shooting, police said the suspect fatally shot a woman at an apartment complex on Bowland Place in north Columbus. A 3-year-old child was involved in the situation and was safe inside a vehicle, police told WBNS.

The woman killed also has not been identified.

FIRST REPORT

One person is dead and a suspect is in custody after a shooting at a post office in Dublin early Saturday morning.

Dublin police responded to the scene at 6400 Emerald Parkway about 5 a.m., according to our partners at WBNS TV in Columbus.

A short time later a second shooting was reported at another location at Bowland Place North in Columbus, according to WBNS. It’s not clear if both shootings are related.