ST. AUGUSTINE, FL – A horrifying domestic incident unfolded in Florida when a firefighter allegedly shot and killed his wife and then himself. The tragic event occurred weeks after the wife publicly expressed concern over her husband’s demanding work schedule and its toll on his demeanor at home.
The St. John’s County Fire Rescue Lt., Shawn Yarbrough, 46, and his wife, Andrea Nichole Nahrup Yarbrough, 34, a financial advisor, were found dead in their St. Augustine residence earlier this month, as confirmed by the sheriff’s department.
Law enforcement arrived at the couple’s home on June 13 after Andrea’s mother requested a wellness check due to her inability to contact her daughter. The duo sustained fatal gunshot wounds, and investigators ruled Andrea’s death as homicide and her husband’s as suicide, as per the autopsy report.
Just two weeks prior to their deaths, Andrea took to Facebook to highlight her husband’s grueling work schedule, which included responding to 3,203 service calls for the month, leaving him “exhausted and never functioning 100% at home.”
The recently married couple had a blended family of four children from previous relationships. Andrea’s mother, Debbie Churchill, said Andrea loved her husband’s three sons as her own, and Andrea had an 11-year-old daughter.
Everyone close to Andrea is still in shock, and her younger sister, Olivia Marvin, recalls her as a resilient fighter who “always strived and wanted the best for everyone.”
Murder-suicides have sadly become a common occurrence amongst emergency responder families nationwide. A report from the Ruderman Family Foundation indicates that suicide rates outpace line-of-duty deaths each year for first responders.
Andrea’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her daughter, Lily, and has managed to raise over $20,000 to date.