Suspected double murder suspect on the run is a "crime in progress", said Mayor

The reward for a double murder suspect climbed to $ 17,500 as the human hunt intensified after an alleged round of violent crime in Tennessee.

Montgomery County mayor Jim Durrett on Thursday described suspect Kirby Gene Wallace as a "street crime" by announcing a $ 10,000 reward in addition to the $ 7,500 already offered for his capture.

According to authorities, Wallace, 53, has remained in the woods of a rural area north of Nashville – an area he knows well. There are structures in the woods where he could seek shelter, announced the authorities Thursday.

"We are certainly stressed," the authorities said at a press conference held on Thursday, adding that the security forces would be sufficiently present in the region to be certain to find him.

"You're just scared for kids," said Yvette Aguirre, a resident of Montgomery County, at ABC News. "My daughter was not sure she wanted to take the bus."

WTVF

Wallace is believed to have killed a 63-year-old woman after returning from church on September 23 with her husband, said Frankie Gray, Stewart County Sheriff, according to the Tennessean newspaper. The couple was tied up and their home was set on fire, Gray said, according to the newspaper. The husband survived.

Wallace is also believed to have shot a man and stolen his truck on Monday in Montgomery County, the Tennessean daily reported.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

A few days earlier, an 80-year-old woman was returning home after going to church when Wallace reportedly stopped her by her car and forced her to return home at the end of a knife. announced the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

In the house, Wallace allegedly showed the woman a loaded rifle, threatened her and disassembled her phone to prevent her from calling for help, the sheriff's office said. Wallace allegedly tied him to bed before escaping into his car, officials said.

Wallace is described as having gray hair, hazel eyes and possibly facial hair. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 157 pounds, officials said.

Wallace is wanted for first degree murder, murder, attempted murder, arson and especially for aggravated abduction, authorities said.

Anyone with information on its location is asked to call 911.