Las Vegas police investigate apparent murder-suicide
Las Vegas police were investigating an apparent murder-suicide Wednesday in the southwest valley.
Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said investigators believe a man shot his wife, then turned the gun on himself about 7:40 a.m. at a home in a new housing tract near Blue Diamond and Fort Apache roads.
The man and woman were each in their 40s and lived at the residence in the 9200 block of South Park Street.
Spencer said the couple’s 16-year-old son found the bodies and called 911.
“The teenager reported that he heard gunshots inside of his house,” Spencer said. “He went outside of his bedroom in the hallway and found his mother suffering from a gunshot wound. That was at the top of the staircase. At the bottom of the staircase he found his father also suffering from a gunshot wound.”
Family members arrived at the scene before a media briefing and were seen speaking with officers. One woman collapsed on the ground after hearing the news. Another woman wailed uncontrollably.
“We are also speaking to some other family members in regards to some prior family dynamics as far as what led up to the shooting.” Spencer said.
The shooting is the third murder-suicide in the Las Vegas Valley in 15 days.
On Saturday, Jeffrey David Lobel, 51, and Cicilia Apolo, 55, were found dead from gunshot wounds at the Falling Waters Apartments complex, 1350 N. Town Center Drive, in Summerlin. Police said that Apolo was suffering from health issues and that the married couple were “in a financial crisis.”
On Feb. 16 in Henderson, police said Whitney Chareun, 25 was shot and killed by Nhan Truong, 29, at a home in the 3000 block of Sunridge Heights Parkway, near Seven Hills Drive. Truong then shot himself. Two children, ages 2 and 14 months, and two dogs were found in the home, all unharmed, police said.
“We are all dealing with the restrictions of COVID and the current economic environment,” Spencer said. “There is a lot of stress out there. There are multiple resources that family members can turn to. You can call 211, and you can also reach out to the Family Justice Center. There are resources out there for families under tremendous stress.”
Warning signs
Signs of suicide can include changes in conversation, behavior and mood, according to the American Association of Suicidology.
If a person talks about being a burden to others and feeling trapped; if a person starts acting recklessly or withdrawing from friends, family and activities; if a person starts experiencing rage, anxiety or a loss of interest, reach out to the person or seek help.
For more information, visit suicidology.org/resources/warning-signs.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255, provides access to trained telephone counselors, 24/7. The Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Katelyn Newberg contributed to this report.
