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Lacrissa Davis, 27, was shot to death behind the counter of an Ames, Iowa, Casey's General Store, and police said the gunman, Tony Hayes, 33, died several hours later after a shootout and chase that spanned two counties.

Ames police said a customer in the parking lot heard gunfire and called 911. Officers found Davis dead behind the counter inside the store where she worked.

Investigators identified Hayes as the suspect and said he had previously dated Davis. Hayes fled the store on foot and was later spotted riding a bicycle near Nevada, several miles away, according to the Iowa Attorney General's Office.

Officials said a Nevada police officer confronted Hayes and was met with gunfire. After the exchange, Hayes took the officer's patrol car and led law enforcement from multiple agencies on a chase along Highway 30.

Officers deployed tire-deflation devices, and the stolen cruiser went off the road near State Center. Hayes was found dead of what investigators described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound, closing the case without an arrest or trial.

Ames police commander Jim Robinson said investigators were still determining the exact nature of the relationship between Hayes and Davis, calling the shooting "a very, very tragic event." Davis, a mother of four who had moved to Ames the year before, was remembered by relatives as a devoted parent and a singer active in her church choir.