The Stewart County Sheriff’s Office described the suspect as a retired special forces veteran with extensive training in survival tactics.
DOVER, Tenn. — A multiagency manhunt stretched into its fourth day Monday as law enforcement officials continued searching a remote stretch of rural Tennessee for a retired U.S. Army Special Forces veteran accused of shooting his wife.
The Stewart County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded around 1:30 a.m. on May 1 to a reported shooting, but Craig Berry ran into the woods before deputies arrived at the scene. According to Sheriff Frankie Gray, the incident began at around 11:30 p.m. Thursday near 133 Old Paris Highway.
Berry’s wife was able to run from the home and drive away after being shot.
She is currently hospitalized but her condition is unknown. Stewart County Schools has declined to release her name to protect her privacy, but confirmed she is a teacher in the district and said the incident did not occur on school grounds and poses no ongoing threat to students or staff.
Authorities have obtained an additional warrant charging Berry with second-degree attempted murder.
The case has drawn significant concern from law enforcement given Berry’s background and capabilities. The Stewart County Sheriff’s Office described him as a retired special forces veteran with extensive training in survival tactics, noting he is “an excellent swimmer and diver, and is in good physical shape.”
Authorities say he is armed with at least one handgun and is believed to have taken extra ammunition.
A recent trail camera photo confirmed he was wearing camouflage clothing. Deputies believe he does not have a phone or any other means of communication.
The search has expanded considerably since it began Friday morning. The Stewart County Sheriff’s Office is now working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, state Homeland Security and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Officials have not ruled out the possibility that Berry received help after the shooting.
“We are not ruling out the possibility that he has received some outside assistance after the incident. We have no information that he is no longer in the area,” the sheriff’s office said.
Residents throughout Stewart County have been urged to remain vigilant. Authorities are asking anyone who sees anything suspicious to call 911 and to lock their doors and remain on alert.
Stewart County, located along the Kentucky border in northwestern Tennessee, is sparsely populated and heavily wooded.
Anyone with information on Berry’s whereabouts is urged to call 911 immediately. Authorities warn that he should not be approached under any circumstances.