DOVER, Tenn. — A manhunt is underway in Tennessee for a retired special forces veteran accused of shooting his wife early Friday.
Craig Berry, who is wanted on an attempted murder warrant, has “extensive training in survival tactics,” is an “excellent swimmer and diver,” and is “in good physical shape,” officials said.
The Stewart County Sheriff's Office said it began "actively searching" for Berry after deputies responded to a shooting call around 1:30 a.m. Friday at a home in Dover, Tennessee. Berry had fled into nearby woods before deputies arrived, the sheriff's office said.
Local authorities said his wife attempted to get away in her car before Berry fired at her. She took off, the sheriff said, and he followed in his truck until he crashed and totaled the vehicle.
Berry's wife survived the shooting and was taken to a medical facility. She has since been released, Stewart County Sheriff Frankie Gray told NBC News on Tuesday. Gray described her injuries as "life-threatening," but said she overcame them.
Deputies have spoken to Berry's wife multiple times, the sheriff said.
Dover is in northwestern Tennessee, not far from the Kentucky state line and about 85 miles west of Nashville. Berry was last seen wearing camouflage clothing near River Trace Road.
Gray said the agency is "getting together another pretty massive search this week" with help from the U.S. Marshals Service, but that the search party has been "hamstrung" by bad weather.
On Monday, the sheriff's office said it was working with the U.S. marshals to search from River Trace Road to Highway 79 to parts of Highway 232 this week. Gray said officials are counting on the marshals to help search outside the immediate area.
Authorities are searching an area that is thick with trees and covered in rough terrain, the sheriff said. So far, Gray said the department has had around 30 officers helping with the search.
"This is going to be a really detailed, methodical search," Gray said, noting that authorities believe Berry is armed with an automatic weapon.
Gray acknowledged that it's possible Berry is dead or had someone pick him up to get out of the area.
But officials will continue search efforts in the area until they are certain Berry is no longer there, the sheriff said.
Gray did not rule out the possibility that Berry swam away in a nearby river.
Berry is also believed to be armed with at least one handgun and extra ammunition, the sheriff's office said. It said Monday that an additional warrant had been secured accusing him of second-degree attempted murder.
Gray called the search "urgent," but said he did not expect that the suspect would break into someone else's home or harm somebody else. He did say he expects Berry would steal a vehicle to flee, though.
Gray said Berry spoke to one person, a family member, by phone shortly after the incident. Officers have spoken to that family member, and they believe Berry destroyed his cellphone.
Gray did not want to speculate on "problems" between the couple as a motive, but noted a possible "financial situation."
"I think he'll eventually be caught," Gray said, but added that this will be a "lengthy" process. He said he did not think it was likely that Berry would turn himself in.
Neighbors are on high alert as the manhunt stretches on.
Carol Givens said she feels safe, but isn't taking any chances.
"All the doors are locked 24/7, and I've got my little dog with me, and I've got ... " she said with a laugh, while pointing to a pistol in her back pocket.
She said she doesn't typically carry, but given the situation, she and her husband thought it a wise choice.
The sheriff's office asked nearby residents to check their trail cameras "cause we're not ruling anything out," noting that Berry "might have outside help."
The sheriff's office has repeatedly asked anyone with information to call 911.
Aaron Gilchrist reported from Dover and Rebecca Cohen from New York.
