Barney Rubble was murdered last night in his home in Bedrock.  Police immediately arrested former neighbor Fred Flintstone.  Witnesses heard shots and screams shortly after 1 AM.  Rubble’s wife Betty ran outside screaming “Fred’s shooting us” before collapsing in the driveway, blood gushing from her bullet wounds.  Police arrived within minutes and cordoned off the street.  Police did not know if anyone else besides the shooter was in the house.    After ascertaining there were the Bedrock SWAT team shot tear gas canisters into the house before storming inside.  Once in they found a scene of carnage.  Rubble was slumped over his desk with bullet wounds to the head, chest and groin.  Wilma Flintstone, estranged wife of shooter Fred Flintstone had wounds to her chest and abdomen but was still alive.  Police were able to overpower Flintstone who was weeping and shouting “I just want Wilma back.  Wilma!  Yabba-dabba doo.  Wilma I love you.” Betty Rubble and Wilma Flintstone were rushed to a local hospital.  Betty Rubble died of her wounds shortly thereafter but Wilma Flintstone remains in critical condition.

Bedrock detectives were able to piece together events that lead to the shooting. Fred and Wilma Flintstone had recently separated with Fred living downtown. Anonymous sources cited  “sexual incompatibility” as the reason for the split.  Wilma meanwhile rented out the house she had shared with her husband and moved in with the Rubbles.

“It’s no secret that the three of them lived together in an open relationship.  Barney used to brag about sharing Betty and Wilma” said one neighbor. Rubble also was head of a local swingers club and held “key” parties at his residence.  As Rubble’s last key party progressed Flintstone parked across the street, sullenly waiting, shotgun in his lap.  Then, at 1 AM when the others left, Flintstone exited his vehicle  and walked towards the Rubble residence.  He shouted “You took my wife Rubble you bastard.  You were my friend and you took my wife” before breaking down the front door.  He fired 3 shots point blank into Rubble before turning upon his wife Betty.  “He took my wife and now I’m taking his” he said before shooting her and reloading.  Wilma Flintstone barricaded herself in the bedroom and called 911. Fred Flintstone eventually broke into the room and grabbed her, screaming “Why did you do this to me Wilma?  I love you.  Please come home with me.”  When rebuffed he emptied the final rounds into her.

When police had sorted it out two were dead and a third was clinging to life.  But perhaps most tragic of all is the sad, solitary, cautionary figure of Fred Flintstone who, minus belt and shoelaces, remains under a 24 hour suicide watch in his jail cell.  Sources say that Flintstone will not eat and only mumbles “Wilma…..Wilma…..yabba dabba doo……Wilma I love you.”

(To be continued)

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