'Facebook killer' Steve Stephens found dead after car chase

Police say a man suspected of randomly shooting a grandfather on an Ohio street and posting video of the killing to Facebook has taken his own life.

Steve Stephens' car was spotted on Tuesday morning outside a McDonald's in the city of Erie, Pennsylvania.

State police gave chase and the suspect shot himself "as the vehicle was spinning out of control", police said.

Stephens, 37, shot dead Robert Godwin, 74, as the victim walked home from Easter lunch on Sunday in Cleveland.

The fugitive's mobile phone signal was last tracked on Sunday afternoon to Erie, 100 miles (160km) from where Mr Godwin was gunned down.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson told a news conference: "We have closure in regards to the search for Steve Stephens."

Pennsylvania State Police said that they had received a tip-off from an "alert citizen" shortly after 11:00 on Tuesday.

The suspect's white Ford Fusion car had been spotted in the car park of a McDonald's in Erie, near a local police headquarters.

State police pursued him for less than two miles before executing a tactic that involves ramming the rear of a vehicle to make it lose control.

"As the vehicle was spinning out of control from the PIT manoeuvre, Stephens pulled a pistol and shot himself in the head," Pennsylvania state police said in a statement.

During the encounter there were no injuries to members of the public or officers, and Stephens was pronounced dead at the scene, added Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams.