The suspect, 57-year-old Jimmy Cooper, faces two capital murder charges in the deaths of Donny Miller, 67, and Linda Cole, 61. Mr Miller was Cooper’s former business partner and Mr Cooper was a client of Ms Cole’s, according to Marion County District Attorney Jack Bostick.

Deputies and police confronted Mr Cooper as he attempted to flee and he was shot in the arm and leg before being taken into custody. It was unclear whether he had an attorney.

Court records show that Mr Miller sued Mr Cooper in July 2014, stating that the two had been partners in a foam insulation business since 2010. The suit was dropped at Miller's request in June 2015, records state.

The police haven’t released a motive for the shootings. Mr Bostick said he would talk with the victims' family members before deciding whether to pursue the death penalty, but his inclination would be to seek it.

Sheriff Kevin Williams said a relative of Mr Cooper’s signed a commitment order on him last July and that he was taken to a mental health facility where he was evaluated and, at some point, released. Mr Williams has used the shootings to call for increased funding for mental health services, saying that law enforcement is too often faced with handling suspects who are in need of such services.

The sheriff added that ‘We have a problem with mental patients with guns. Our problem in the state of Alabama — we have nowhere to put them. Our county jails are being flooded with mental patients that we legally can’t really take care of; we’re not trained fully.’ Sources: ABC News; AL.com