PHOENIX, AZ – A gruesome murder-suicide case erupted on Monday that left four people dead, including a minor, according to reports by Phoenix Police. The perpetrator, believed to be the estranged husband of one of the victims, is suspected of separate slayings at a local business and his own residence.
The initial incident was reported around 11 a.m. when Phoenix police responded to a call about a shooting at a business near 27th Avenue and Deer Valley Road. Unfortunately, both victims at this scene- a man and a woman- succumbed to their injuries. The woman was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Sgt. Phil Krynsky, a spokesperson for Phoenix Police Department, indicated that ongoing investigations led officers to a residential property on 23rd Avenue and Utopia Road, where a vehicle matching a description provided by witnesses was discovered. Upon gaining legal entry into the residence, police found two bodies: a man, who was the prospective shooter, and a young teen boy, both killed by gunshot wounds. A dog was also found dead from gunshot injuries.
Reportedly, the suspect was married to the woman killed at the business, and the deceased teen is their son. The relationship between the man found dead at the business and the other victims remains unclear.
According to Krynsky, the residential crime scene was verified as the domestic residence of the suspect. Investigators assume a contentious marital relationship could have been the catalyst for the heinous act. Authorities have reassured the public that there is no additional threat to the community, considering that the two crime scenes were linked to each other.