Authorities allege a man shot and killed his brother, claiming he did so to protect his family from a perceived threat.

Dustin Cannon, aged 42, faces charges of first-degree murder following the fatal shooting of his brother, Austin Cannon. The incident came to light when Arkansas law enforcement responded to a residence on Monday evening.

Deputies from the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene on the 3000 block of Heber Springs Road North around 7:10 p.m. They encountered a man identified as the suspect and discovered another man who was unresponsive.

The sheriff’s department reported that Austin Cannon was found “deceased outside the home from apparent gunshot wounds.” Court documents, obtained by Jonesboro’s ABC and NBC affiliate KAIT, indicated that he suffered “multiple bullet wounds from his torso to his neck.” His exact age remains unspecified.

Detectives were summoned to piece together the events leading up to the shooting, and Dustin Cannon was subsequently interviewed. He allegedly confessed to the killing, asserting that he acted because his brother had threatened to harm his wife and daughter.

“Dustin stated that his brother, Austin Cannon, came at him and when he raised his fist to hit him, he [Dustin] just began shooting,” the affidavit added.

The suspect is also said to have told investigators that he fired his .40-caliber gun, which held 21 rounds. “He stated that he shot all the rounds in the gun,” the detective in the court document wrote.

Austin Cannon is believed to have been shot while he was “standing on the back porch.” Once he fell to the floor, “he was shot several more times,” authorities said.

A woman witnessed the shooting, and she was also interviewed, KAIT reported. She “stated that Dustin was mad at Austin for leaving his family and not working,” and she “stated that Dustin had mentioned to her about his mother being ready to take Austin out of her will.”

Investigators searched Austin Cannon’s cellphone, and they reportedly found several profanity-laced messages from Dustin Cannon. Just minutes after the final message was sent, the shooting victim arrived at the suspect’s house, detectives said.

The suspect is a teacher in the Bald Knob School District. He is being held in the Cleburne County Detention Center on a $1 million bond.