Four people were found dead in a Phoenix, Ariz. home on Tuesday, after a husband found his ex-wife gathering her things from their household and killed her, along with their daughter, a friend, and then himself.
According to police spokesperson Sgt. Trent Crump, who spoke with USA Today, law enforcement officials found the deceased strewn inside and outside of the home. The suspected shooter was discovered dead by what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an alley near the house.
The husband, who was in his 50s, and his wife had a court date scheduled in Maricopa County for Tuesday to hear testimonies related to a protective order the wife had filed against him. Police did not say whether the hearing actually happened.
Police dispatchers first received calls from neighbors at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday who reported that someone had opened fire in the area. Officials said they could hear shots in the background during the phone calls.
Investigators who were sent to the scene reported that they believed the suspect broke into the property to gain entry while his wife was gathering her things with intentions to leave the home. The teenage daughter and an unidentified male were also present, according to USA Today. Officers also reported seeing a person who was on the ground in the front yard, and a police helicopter watching the scene from above informed officers that there was another victim in the backyard who looked as though they'd been burned. Upon further inspection, police discovered the wife's body on fire in the backyard. The teenage daughter's remains were found inside the house.
According to an eyewitness account, one person in the area saw the suspect shoot the unidentified male family friend in the driveway. Neighbors who spoke with USA Today said they didn't know the suspected gunman well, nor did they speak with him frequently.