According to a witness, a man shot and killed his wife in the residence before turning the gun on himself.
The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking into a reported murder-suicide incident that occurred at a residence in the city on Sunday afternoon.
As per an update on the department’s official Facebook page, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2000 block of Gordon Road NW in Dover Township following a report of gunshots at around 1:36 p.m.
A concerned caller informed the authorities that she was present at the residence preparing for a graduation celebration for one of the residents when she heard the sound of gunfire. She relayed to the police during the phone call that the “man in the house had allegedly shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself.”
When officers arrived, they found a 54-year-old man who was pronounced dead at the scene. The 53-year-old woman was found alive at the scene. She was transported to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital where she was later died of her injuries.
Police say the child was not at home when the incident happened.
“While there is still evidence to process and information to gather, preliminary indication suggests that Murder-suicide is the most likely cause due to evidence and witness statements at the scene.” the Sheriff’s Offices said.
An investigation is ongoing.