Johnathan McFarland radiated joy as he nestled beside his father in a cherished family vacation photo.

Today, at 22 years old, he remains the lone survivor among those eight smiling faces, as an unthinkable tragedy claimed the lives of the others.

His father, 52-year-old Ryan Willis McFarland, enacted a horrific spree in the quiet town of Muscatine, Iowa, ultimately taking his own life.

During this rampage, McFarland tragically ended the lives of his wife Lesa, 51, his 20-year-old daughter Ryle, and his sons, 16-year-old Mark and 13-year-old Ryan Jr, at their Park Street residence on Monday afternoon.

Before this, he pursued and killed Lesa’s two sons from prior relationships, seemingly intent on erasing her entire lineage.

Austin Harris, 29, was shot dead in his home on Mill Street, and Lena’s eldest, Dakota Whitlow, 32, murdered as he worked at his late father’s shop, Willits Metalworks.

The killer dad was finally cornered by police on Riverfront Trail near the Park Street home before he could find Johnathan and finish his twisted plan. 

As police tried to talk him down, McFarland shot himself dead in front of them. 

Johnathan McFarland beamed as he cuddled up to his dad on the far right of a wholesome holiday snap of their blended family. Now he is the only survivor after his father Ryan Willis McFarland, 52, murdered all the rest then killed himself

McFarland, his wife Lesa, 51, with their children Ryan Jr, 13, Ryle, 20, Mark, 16, and Johnathan, 22, at Ryle’s high school graduation in 2023

Johnathan, grieving and traumatized by losing his entire family in one morning, is now the key police witness.

Muscatine Police Chief Anthony Kies said he spent the morning with Johnathan as they both searched for answers.

‘As this is also very overwhelming for him, while he and his family and friends navigate this horrific incident, he is open and welcome to the prayers for him and his family,’ he said.

Kies branded McFarland’s final acts on Earth as ‘evil’ and said the investigation would take as long as it took to get answers for Johnathan.

Friends, family, and locals in the shellshocked town on the Illinois border reacted with outrage, shock, and grief as news spread.

Ryle had just graduated the University of Northern Iowa and secured a job as a third-grade teacher at McKinley Elementary School in autumn.

Her close school friend Drake Edwards mourned her on social media on Tuesday, declaring ‘I will love you in every lifetime’.

‘I don’t know how I will continue to live my life knowing I can’t call you or talk to you ever again. You have made such an impact on my life,’ he wrote.

Proud parents McFarland and Lesa with Ryle and Johnathan as they both graduated community college in 2025

McFarland killed Ryle, Mark, Lesa, and Ryan Jr at the family home on Park Street just after noon on Monday. Only Johnathan (second from left) was left alive

Ryle had just graduated the University of Northern Iowa and secured a job as a third-grade teacher at McKinley Elementary School in autumn

‘You are someone I could always rely on and go to when I needed advice and I needed strength or reassurance in what I was wanting to do.

‘I will never fully be able to understand why this happened to you and your family but you have no idea how much I will always be thinking about you and I truly believe you are still by my side in another life guiding me on the right path.’

Tragically, Ryle had nothing but praise for her beloved dad every Father’s Day, as recently as last year.

‘Happy Father’s Day to my supportive, hilarious, and loving dad! Thank you for everything you’ve done for me! I am truly so grateful for you. I hope you enjoy the day and feel extra special! I love you forever and always!’ she wrote.

Austin Mills, who was friends with both Harris and Whitlow, lamented that he didn’t ‘have any words for this insanity’.

‘All I have is an unfinished car built by two legends who are no longer around, hoping I can finish it the way we all wanted… on my own,’ he wrote.

Whitlow was planning a wedding with his fiancee Audrey Perdue, who said she was suffering too much grief to speak about her loss.

His stepmother, on his father’s side, Vicky Whitlow, paid tribute to both him and Lesa.

‘Dakota you were a great stepson. I am devastated that you’re gone. You were to do a lot of great things in this life, and it was all stolen from you yesterday,’ she wrote.

‘Lesa you and your children came into my life at a time when I needed you. You were a very lovely and kind lady. I loved you and your children. You will be greatly missed all of you.’

Whitlow was planning a wedding with his fiancee Audrey Perdue, who said she was suffering too much grief to speak about her loss

Austin Harris, 29, was shot dead in his home on Mill Street

McFarland had four children with Lesa, who had two other children from a prior marriage. Earlier this week, Muscatine police said McFarland killed six family members before taking his own life

Ryan Jr’s classmate Keith added: ‘I can’t believe that would happen to you, you were as nice as ever and I was lucky to have you as a best friend to me.

‘It’s gonna be different without you next year. I’m sorry that you won’t be about to be with us in person, but you will be with us and in our minds and our hearts.

‘I’m sorry you weren’t able to live a long and happy life.’

Johnathan made a surprise admission when he spoke at a vigil for his family on Tuesday night. 

‘It’s hard to think this is even real, I’m still in denial,’ he said.

This might hurt some people to say… no matter what is being told to me, I will always love and miss my dad.’

Neighbor Melissa Weggen told the Muscatine Journal that about 10 minutes before the massacre began, she heard McFarland say: ‘Don’t worry about money. Everything goes away when you die.’

Cash appeared to be a concern, with Weggen saying McFarland and Lesa held weekly yard sales.

But McFarland also had a dark past encompassing incidents far worse than mere money troubles. Fifteen years earlier, in August 2011, he was blamed for the death of a baby in his care.

The tragedy unfolded when McFarland left an eight-month-old boy called Charles Negus sleeping on a crib at Little People. 

Charles was placed on his stomach, with his head propped up by a soft pillow. He ended up smothering himself.

In August 2011, McFarland was blamed for the death of an eight-month-old boy that was in his care. He ended up striking a plea deal that dismissed a child endangerment resulting in death charge

The McFarlands said they started their own daycare center when they were looking for affordable options for Lisa’s sons from her previous marriage

Tragically, Ryle had nothing but praise for her beloved dad every Father’s Day

Ryan Jr in a photo shared by his sister on his 10th bithday

McFarland struck a plea deal the following year, which saw a child endangerment resulting in death charge being dismissed.

He was sentenced to a year on probation, two years of unsupervised probation and a $625 fine.

Alan Ostergren, the Muscatine County Attorney at the time, said the evidence was not enough to conclude McFarland had caused the eight–month–old’s death.

The state pathologist testified in court that he was unable to ‘state to a reasonable degree of medical certainty’ if Charles died from positional asphyxia or from sudden unexplained infant death, per the Muscatine Journal.

Iowa court records viewed by the Daily Mail showed McFarland’s charge was ultimately adjudicated as an aggravated misdemeanor of child endangerment with no injuries.

The prosecutors said the plea deal where McFarland admitted he endangered the baby’s safety, but did not require him to admit that he caused the death.

‘This disposition was made after consultation with the victim’s family,’ Ostergren said at the time.

‘In the end, we chose the certain outcome of a negotiated guilty plea over the uncertainty outcome of a jury trial,’ he added.

McFarland could have faced up to 50 years in prison had his original felony charge stuck.

 McFarland with Ryle as a toddler two decades before her murdered her

McFarland and his wife Lesa were praised in several articles in the early 2000s for the daycare facility they operated from their clapboard home in Muscatine, Iowa

Authorities said McFarland’s license to operate a childcare service had been previously revoked by the state because he had lied on his application about not having prior felony convictions.

McFarland had been convicted in September 1994 in Illinois of burglary and attempted armed robbery.

In 2010, he was also found guilty of third–degree theft in Muscatine.

The Department of Human Services had specifically prohibited McFarland from operating the business out of his home, according to the outlet.

Few would have guessed just how dark McFarland’s past was from the way he marketed his business.

When the McFarlands opened their daycare, he was an aspiring teacher, while his wife Lesa was a physical therapist for Muscatine Physical Therapy.

The couple was looking for affordable daycare options for Lisa’s two sons from a previous marriage but had struggled.

This gave the McFarlands the idea to start their own center, which they would repeatedly tout in local press over the years.

‘It is difficult to trust anyone with your children, but when things happen with people you trust, that’s when we decided to open our daycare,’ McFarland told the Quad–City Times in October 2004.

McFarland was convicted in September 1994 in Illinois of burglary and attempted armed robbery. He was then found guilty of third-degree theft in Muscatine in 2010

Before starting the daycare with his own family in mind, McFarland was an aspiring teacher who had graduated from Western Illinois University and had a master’s degree in education

Authorities said they believed this week’s massacre had been caused by a domestic dispute, though it was still being investigated

McFarland said he had researched daycare curriculums and discussed them with Muscatine County’s Department of Human Services.

Lesa quit her job in 2000 and McFarland followed suit a couple of weeks later once their daycare service had grown from two children to five.

The McFarlands also moved from a small apartment into a four–bedroom house around the same time to accommodate their expanding business.

Lesa said the environment inside the home was ‘like a family setting’ for the children.

‘When they know what to expect, it helps them,’ she told the Muscatine Journal in March 2003.

McFarland added: ‘With us, you have two people watching the children all the time. There are two different role models. We complement each other very well.’

One of the parents who dropped her children off at the McFarlands’ home at the time, Shanna Arnold, described the couple as ‘very dependable’ and ‘very open.’

‘If anything happens, they inform me right away,’ Arnold, 21, told the outlet.

The children were taught to write their names and learn their addresses at the daycare.

Lesa added that the couple also sought to instill the principles of good citizenship in them.

McFarland, who graduated from Western Illinois University and has a master’s degree in education, began teaching preschool at the daycare in January 2004.

As the sun sets over Los Angeles, anticipation fills the air as Californians await the closure of polling stations at 8 p.m. This evening marks a significant moment in the state’s political landscape, as the governor’s race garners widespread attention.

The contest for California’s governorship has emerged as a fiercely competitive affair, with three primary contenders capturing the spotlight. Among them are two Democratic hopefuls and one Republican candidate, shaping what many political analysts describe as the most intense gubernatorial primary the state has experienced in recent years.

Recent polling data from the past week has consistently placed Xavier Becerra, the former California Attorney General, in the lead. However, the battle for the crucial second position in the runoff remains unpredictable and fiercely contested.

The contenders vying for this spot include former Fox News host Steve Hilton and billionaire environmental advocate Tom Steyer. Hilton has been actively urging Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, another Republican in the race, to bow out and endorse him. In a spirited response, Bianco took to social media, humorously suggesting that not only Hilton’s supporters but also those of Becerra, Steyer, and others should cast their votes in his favor.

Despite the Republican efforts, there remains a possibility that the runoff could feature two Democratic candidates, potentially sidelining Hilton. Steyer, determined to secure a place in the race, has invested a staggering $216 million from his personal wealth into his campaign.

Here’s a look at the major candidates running for California governor

Antonio Villaraigosa (D)

Villaraigosa served as L.A. mayor from 2005 to 2013. He also served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and chair of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Villaraigosa ran for governor in 2018, the year Gavin Newsom was elected.

Mayor Karen Bass endorsed Villaraigosa last September, praising his work on issues like children’s health to the environment.

“We’ve been working together across this town, focused on the issued that people care about — safe streets, clean neighborhoods, fair distribution of resources,” Villaraigosa said at the time. “We’ve stood up together decade after decade.”

“But let’s be clear. This isn’t just about friendship. We aren’t here today because we’re all friends. We’re here today because these times are difficult. We face big challenges in this state,” Villaraigosa said. “We need a broad coalition of people in this state to take on those challenges. And I’ve said, To whom much is given, much is expected.’ I’m here today and that’s why I’m so proud to be here with all of you, I’m here today because there was as Civil Rights Act. I’m here today because there was a voting rights act. I’m here today because people fought to open up this country to us.”

Chad Bianco (R)

Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, is one of the two biggest names running on the Republican ticket. He’s been sheriff since 2019 and is a well-known figure in the law enforcement community.

“I am the antithesis to California state government because I am going to take a nuclear bomb into that building and absolutely destroy everything that they do to us behind closed doors,” he told Eyewitness News during a recent one-on-one interview.

Although he’s been elected by the voters twice, Bianco says he’s not a politician — which is why he believes his campaign for California governor is resonating, as reflected in the polls.

Katie Porter (D)

Porter is a former congresswoman from Orange County who served in Washington, D.C. from 2019 to 2025, leaving to run for Senate and losing in the primary to Adam Schiff. Porter has a long career as a law professor and is a tenured professor at UCI’s law school.

She said that if she’s elected governor, California would continue to serve as the resistance to Trump, but she also said that the affordability crisis cannot be blamed solely on the administration.

“This is not a crisis that is just because of Donald Trump,” Porter told Eyewitness News. “His tariffs, his economic instability, his immoral ICE raids are worsening California’s housing crisis, but this is about our own policy decisions.

“If California would build housing at the same speed that our competitor states do, we could take almost 20% off the cost of housing.”

Matt Mahan (D)

Mahan has been mayor of San Jose since 2023. Though he’s not too well known in Southern California, he told Eyewitness News he plans to address that.

“I’m spending a lot of time down here and I want to shine a spotlight on the things we can do better to hold Sacramento and our cities and counties accountable, for making California work for our middle-class families,” Mahan told Eyewitness News last month. “What we saw … on Skid Row is a multi-decade public policy failure. We’re failing to build the shelter, the treatment capacity that our most vulnerable neighbors need. We’re also failing to enforce against drug dealing and create accountability for people to come indoors.”

The 43-year-old Democrat has seen success in San Jose on homelessness and crime with a one-third reduction in street homelessness. In the first two weeks of his campaign, millions of dollars have poured in from the tech community, which his rivals have criticized.

It’s not much of a surprise as San Jose is the largest city in Silicon Valley.

“I think that the governor has to be again a fighter for our values as well as a fixer of our problems. In San Jose, I’ve shown I can do both. In the long run, fixing our problems is going to be the best resistance imaginable,” said Mahan.

Steve Hilton (R)

Hilton is a former Fox News host and a vocal supporter of Trump. He was born in the UK where he served as director of strategy for former Prime Minister David Cameron, and then moved to California in 2012.

He became a U.S. citizen in 2021.

Hilton blames climate change policies for the housing and affordability crisis in California, saying the policies have made it more costly to build. He added that he doesn’t believe climate change played a role in last year’s destructive and deadly wildfires.

“It’s a complete failure of Democrat policies, and to blame it all on climate change is an insult to everybody who lost their home,” Hilton said.

Eyewitness News asked Hilton if he supports Trump’s tactics for immigration enforcement, to which he said, “Everybody supports.”

“I can’t imagine a single person who doesn’t support what’s been done to close our southern border and stop this absolutely outrageous undermining of the law we saw in the Biden years. I’m a legal immigrant, and I’ve said many times, I’m the candidate of the legal immigrant community for the legal immigrant community,” Hilton said.

Tom Steyer (D)

Steyer is a billionaire who wants billionaires to pay their fair share. He said California would not lose its competitive edge even if billionaires leave to shield their private wealth.

He also addressed a proposed one-time 5% wealth tax that has not yet made the ballot.

“In theory, I support it, and I’m going to wait and see what happens before I decide specifically if there is a wealth tax on the ballot,” he said.

Steyer also wants a special election to rewrite Proposition 13’s tax limits for commercial properties.

“Large businesses that own huge office buildings and huge malls have been getting a tax loophole for over 40 years that makes no sense,” Steyer said.

He added that the state remains an excellent place to start and grow companies but said controlling housing and health care costs plays a role.

“If we can control housing costs, and if we can control health care costs, that is going to make this a much easier place to do business,” he said.

Tony Thurmond (D)

Thurmond is California’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He’s been elected statewide twice, in 2018 and most recently in 2022, when he earned 63.7% and 5,681,318 votes.

Prior to serving as California’s superintendent of public instruction, Thurmond served in the State Assembly, and before then on the Richmond City Council and the West Contra Costa School Board.

In response to Hicks’s request for candidates polling in the single-digits to drop out, Thurmond said the party is “essentially telling every candidate of color … to drop out.”

“This act doesn’t reflect the Democratic Party of 2026,” he said in a video his campaign posted on social media. “Aren’t we supposed to be the party who embraces democracy? A party of, by and for the people. Well, the establishment might not be, but our campaign is, and that’s why we’re in this race, to win it.”

Xavier Becerra (D)

Becerra served as the Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden — the first Latino in that role. Becerra also served as California Attorney General from 2017 to 2021, and before that was in Congress.

He said some of his top priorities include building more housing, healthcare, and education.

“I am not running on inflated promises,” he said in a video posted to his X account. “I am running on my record. Right now, I can tell you, I’ve taken on a reckless federal government. I have taken on ruthless corporations. I have defended workers’ wages. I have defended women’s reproductive rights. I have defended immigrants’ rights up and down the state of California.”

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Taylor Swift’s eagerly anticipated wedding guest list has stirred curiosity, and it appears that one speculated attendee, whose invite seemed uncertain, will indeed be present.

According to a May 30 report by the Daily Mail, the inclusion of supermodel Karlie Kloss was initially uncertain. However, TMZ has since revealed that insiders confirm Kloss will be among the invitees.

The “Bad Blood” artist, 36, is set to tie the knot with Travis Kelce, also 36, with the ceremony expected to take place around July 3.

Representatives for both Swift and Kloss did not immediately respond to Page Six’s inquiries for further comments.

The Daily Mail previously cited a source mentioning that some of Swift’s friendships have experienced tension over time. The pop star is keen to ensure that her special day is filled with genuine connections, especially with those who have been significant in her life for many years.

Kloss, 33, and Swift first became friends in 2013 and made joint appearances in music videos, attended concerts together and hung out at home.

However, things hit a snag in 2018 when Kloss married Joshua Kushner. Swift did not attend, citing “work commitments.” Notably, Kloss’ then-manager, Scooter Braun, was a guest.

Braun acquired Swift’s early catalog of albums in June 2019, a business deal that the pop star says left her feeling “grossed out.”

The source told the Daily Mail that Swift “came to believe that Karlie’s intentions were not as genuine as she once thought, and that the friendship became more about proximity to Taylor’s fame than a real bond.”

TMZ’s sources, however, say that the two have settled whatever differences they had, and Kloss will be on the list.

Speculation over the Kelce-Swift wedding list has been fierce. Zoë Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, Haim, Suki Waterhouse, Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez are among the stars who have snagged invites to the upcoming nuptials.

Meanwhile, Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry, were left off the guest list after having an apparent falling out with their once-close friends, Page Six recently confirmed.

A tense standoff unfolds in California as a suspected bank robber, allegedly equipped with a bomb, takes hostages.

According to Bakersfield police, they were alerted shortly after 1 p.m. about a bomb threat at the Chase Bank located on 17th Street and Chester. The situation escalated when the suspect, whose identity remains unknown, barricaded himself inside with an unspecified number of hostages, as reported by Sergeant Eric Celedon.

By 5:30 p.m. local time, crisis negotiators successfully convinced the suspect to release one hostage, Celedon confirmed.

While the remaining hostages are reported to be in good condition, police and federal agents continue their efforts to peacefully resolve the standoff.

Reports from Bakersfield Now suggest the suspect may have an explosive device strapped to his chest.

Roughly a dozen police vehicles were spotted responding to the scene Tuesday evening, as well as at least one tactical vehicle, according to KGET. 

Photos also showed heavily armed police officers and FBI agents in tactical gear responding to the scene.

‘What I can guarantee to the community right now is that every single resource is at this this site’s disposal – SWAT team, bomb squad, K9 team, gang unit, drone team,’ Celedon said.

‘Every single asset we have to bring this to the safest conclusion is out here right now, not just ’cause that’s what the community needs, but that’s what you guys deserve.’ 

A man believed to have a bomb strapped to his chest is holding at least one hostage at a Chase Bank in Bakersfield, California

Photos showed heavily armed police officers in tactical gear responding to the scene

Officers are actively negotiating with the bank robber, who had yet to make any demands

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives San Francisco Office said agency resources were also being sent to the city, as the FBI rushed to the scene.

A California spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase said the company’s focus is ‘on the safety of everyone involved’ and is working with law enforcement, according to NBC News. 

Jacob Davidson, a live streamer known as Dad’s Gone Live, told NBC Bay Area he was a block away from the bank at his family’s tattoo shop when he started getting calls from his subscribers asking him about the bomb threat.

‘I went into the bank’s parking garage and watched the cops enter the back of the bank,’ Davidson recounted.

‘This is the biggest police presence I’ve ever seen in this town,’ he added. ‘Now, I’m watching them set up the trauma tents with the green, red and yellow tags, and black tags, too, along with a command center about a block away.’

Law enforcement agencies often proactively set up trauma tents – which are color-coded to help sort victims based on the severity of their injuries – just in case they become necessary in an emergency situation. 

FBI agents in tactical gear rushed to the scene on Tuesday 

Authorities set up a perimeter and worked the scene as they tried to negotiate with the bank robber

At least one tactical vehicle was deployed to the scene in Bakersfield

One witness called it the largest police presence he has ever seen in the city

Evacuations were underway and streets in the nearby area were closed in the immediate area amid the threat. City Hall and police headquarters were also placed on locked down.

City officials said the public will not be able to access the city properties at this time.

‘We continue to closely monitor the situation unfolding in our city and remain concerned for the safety and well-being of everyone involved,’ Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said in a statement Tuesday evening.

‘I am grateful for the swift response and ongoing dedication of the brave men and women of the Bakersfield Police Department, who continue to serve and protect our community,’ she continued. ‘I appreciate the collaboration and coordinated efforts of our law enforcement partners and other responding agencies.

‘Thank you to the many who have reached out in concern,’ Goh said. ‘The best way the public can help at this time is by avoiding the area and allowing law enforcement officers, negotiators and other trained professionals the space and opportunity to safely carry out their duties.

‘The Bakersfield Police Department will continue to provide updates as appropriate,’ she vowed. ‘We ask the community to keep those affected in their prayers.’ 

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.