A man who is said to be of Cherokee ancestry was arrested in connection with the killings of three African-Americans in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Jake England, 19, is due to be charged with three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of three African-American men. The men were killed in three separate shootings on Friday.

England may have been motivated by revenge, authorities said. According to news reports, he posted a message on Facebook on Thursday about his father's death on April 5, 2010.

A man who was considered a person of interest in the case is African-American, The New York Times reported. The man was not charged with England's father's death and is serving time for another crime.

“If anybody is trying to say this is a racial situation, they've got things confused,” Susan Sevenstar, who said England is Cherokee, told the Associated Press. “He didn't care what your color was. It wasn't a racist thing.”

England also faces two counts of shooting with intent to kill in connection with attacks on two other African-American men in Tulsa. Alvin Watts, 32, who is said to be England's roommate, will face the same murder ang shooting charges.

Get the Story:
Two arrested in north Tulsa shootings that claimed three lives (The Tulsa World 4/9)
Two arrested in shootings of black people in Oklahoma (The Los Angeles Times 4/9)
Arrests in Shootings End a Terrifying Weekend in Tulsa (The New York Times 4/9)
2 arrested in Tulsa shootings; revenge possible motive (AP 4/8)