A preliminary autopsy report released on Tuesday says that four family members involved in an alleged murder-suicide at a Central California apartment complex died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Authorities say that a woman who shot her two children, her children’s father, and a cousin before killing herself videoed herself on her iPad taking methamphetamine before the murders.
The only survivor from the incident, the father of the children, is in serious condition, according to Mary Lisa Russell, the spokeswoman for Community Regional Medical Center. The father of the children is 33 year-old Eduardo Lopez.
Police said that Lopez was in the apartment with Aide Mendez, 23, his girlfriend, when she opened fire during an argument.
Lt. Mark Salazar said that when police arrived they found Lopez outside of the Silver Lakes Apartment with gunshot wounds and knife wounds. Lt. Salazar is a homicide commander for the Fresno Police Department.
While officers were responding, a muffled gunshot was heard from inside the first-floor apartment. Upon entering the building, Mendez was found dead along with her cousin Paul Medina, 27, along with her two children. The children are 17-month-old Aliyah Echeverria and Isaiah Echeverria, 3.
There was a neighbor girl, 7, in the apartment at the time of the shootings who escaped without injury.
Police said that Mendez was found in the bathroom, with her children found in the bathtub.
Salazar said that drugs played a role in the killing but the extent is not known. Coroner Dr. David Hadden said that a toxicology report will not be available for a couple of days.
now it has come to this…technology used 2 record evidence…if only the children had been @ the neighbors; i products themselves are linked 2 human rights violations @ point of origin, production facilities…where suicides have occurred. its like the spirit of the deceased @ the plant infiltrated the product & once out there, in the hands of this faraway person in faraway place, more violence & death. the drugs cant not have played a role…this is so tragic, sad, preventable…it could have been, prevented…it always can.