2 Pa. Children Orphaned After Dad Fatally Shoots Mother Before Turning Gun on Himself

Durdona Sultanova "was a lovely, kind, and beautiful woman who was unfortunately taken from us too soon," a family friend wrote on a GoFundMe page

A Pennsylvania man murdered his ex-wife before turning the gun on himself, leaving their two young children orphaned, authorities said.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Lower Moreland Township Police Chief David J. Scirrotto announced in a joint press release that Al Allaberg, 44, shot and killed his ex-wife Durdona Sultanova, 43, before shooting himself at a home in southeastern Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Lower Moreland Police said they received a 911 call at around 4:30 p.m. from “two young residents of the home.” When officers arrived on the scene, they found Sultanova and Allaberg’s bodies in a walk-in closet in the master bedroom.

An autopsy on the bodies performed on Sunday found that Sultanova died from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest while Allaberg died due to a gunshot wound to the head. Sultanova's and Allaberg’s manners of death were homicide and suicide, respectively.

A friend of the family, Lilia Tamkovitch, started a GoFundMe on behalf of Sultanova’s sister, Malika Sultanova, in order to raise funds for Sultanova’s funeral and to raise money for the care of her two children.

“Durdona was a lovely, kind, and beautiful woman who was unfortunately taken from us too soon,” Tamkovitch wrote. “Many know Durdona for her generosity, kindness, and open heart who has helped many.”

“She leaves behind two young children who are also left without a father,” she continued.

As of Thursday, the GoFundMe raised nearly $50,000 for the family.

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“Thank you for your generosity and care for the kids during this unexplainably difficult time,” Tamkovitch added on the GoFundMe. “Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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