A welfare check at a home in the 3100 block of Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica turned up a grim discovery Saturday night: two deceased adults, in what investigators believe was a murder-suicide. Police say a husband fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself, and a firearm was recovered at the scene.
According to MyNewsLA, officers conducted the welfare check and entered the residence at about 9:40 p.m. Saturday, where they located the two bodies. Investigators believe the deaths occurred at approximately 6:42 a.m. Saturday, and police say no other individuals were involved in the deaths.
What Investigators Believe Happened
Per the outlet's report, a man is suspected of shooting his wife to death before taking his own life, with a firearm recovered at the scene. The department has not released the identities of either person, and no additional details about the weapon or the circumstances leading up to the shooting have been made public.
Anyone with information about the deaths is urged to call the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8427.
A Rare but Recognizable Pattern
Murder-suicides remain statistically uncommon. A literature review published by the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law found that the incidence of murder-suicide is low, stable, and similar to what has been reported in the past, with the rate remaining under 0.001 percent nationally. A separate review of Oklahoma medical-examiner records cited in that same journal found an incidence of 0.3 per 100,000 between 1994 and 2001, a rate that stayed stable across those eight years.
The journal also notes that most murder-suicides are spousal or consortial, involving a man killing his wife, girlfriend, ex-wife, or ex-girlfriend. Researchers have identified risk factors including the relationship between perpetrator and victim, a history of domestic violence, the sex of those involved, the perpetrator's age, the presence of divorce or separation, weapon use, and any history of mental illness — though none of those specific factors have been confirmed in the Santa Monica case. Separately, research considers female victims, male perpetrators, and intimate-partner victims in homicide-suicide incidents.
The Santa Monica case follows other recent incidents around the country described as apparent murder-suicides. In New York, state police said autopsies confirmed an apparent murder-suicide in the town of Brushton after a welfare check, according to WWNY-TV. In Colorado, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said it was investigating a possible murder-suicide in Gleneagle, noting that the official cause and manner of death would be released by the county coroner.
No further details about the Santa Monica investigation, including the identities of the two people found dead, have been released. The department has not indicated when, or if, additional information will be made public.
