Man Disguised Himself, Kidnapped His Own Family and Killed Estranged Wife in Front of Sons in Murder-Suicide

The victim, Jamie Felix, was a teacher in Florida

<p>Jamie Bukoski Felix/Facebook</p> Jamie Felix

Jamie Bukoski Felix/Facebook

Jamie Felix

A Florida teacher was shot and killed by her estranged husband in front of their children before he turned the gun on himself in an apparent murder-suicide.

Ray Felix, 60, approached his estranged wife, Jamie, and their two kids at a local business while dressed in a disguise and forced them into a rental car Friday, Port St. Lucie police say in a press release.

Inside the car, police say Ray confronted Jamie, 45, about their impending divorce and forced her to send a suspicious email to her coworkers at Manatee K-8 School. The email caused concern and Jamie’s co-workers called the police.

Ray then went back to retrieve Jamie’s car, and made her drive it while he kept her at gunpoint while forcing one of his sons to follow behind them in a rental car, police said.

Port St. Lucie police said they tracked Jamie Felix’s car to West Palm Beach, when they were subsequently alerted by police there that they couple had died in an apparent murder-suicide.

“The members of the Port St. Lucie Police Department and our community were heartbroken by the tragic incident that occurred Friday evening,” Port St. Lucie police Chief Richard Del Toro says in a statement. “This inexplicable tragedy has not only affected the family and friends of those involved, but also members of the St. Lucie County School District and the students that were inspired by Jamie Felix. This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of domestic violence. If you are or know someone who is a victim of domestic violence, we urge you to immediately contact law enforcement.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

WPBF reported, citing police, that Ray shot Jamie at a motel parking lot in West Palm Beach in front of the children before driving to a rental car facility, and he shot himself after being confronted by officers.

Ray Felix was previously arrested in October and charged with domestic battery following a dispute with Jamie.

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.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.