Mich. Man Fatally Shoots Wife in Front of Her Kids at Birthday Party Before Killing Himself
Police in Michigan continue to investigate a murder-suicide that took place Saturday evening in front of two dozen children gathered for a birthday party, PEOPLE confirms.
Cheryl Myny, 32, was rushed to a hospital Saturday after her husband of six months, 34-year-old Matthew Pilarowski, shot her in the head inside Jump N Jam, an indoor play center located in Marysville, Michigan. She was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The couple, together for six years before marrying earlier this year, had a 4-year-old child together, according to Marysville Public Safety Department Deputy Chief Ron Buckmaster. Police had never been called to their home for any reason, Buckmaster adds.
“There were some marital issues that came up, and witnesses saw them arguing hours before in the parking lot,” Buckmaster tells PEOPLE. “Shortly after 5:30 p.m., while a birthday party’s going on with at least two dozen children present, he pointed his gun at her and a brief struggle ensued and he shot her.”
It is possible Pilarowski fired two shots at his wife, says Buckmaster. An autopsy scheduled for Monday will determine how many times Myny was shot.
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Buckmaster says Pilarowski fled the scene, leaving his own child behind with Myny’s 9-year-old son, who were both attending the birthday celebration.
“He never pointed his gun at anyone else and said nothing,” Buckmaster explains. “He just fled.”
Officers were dispatched to the family’s Kimball Township home, where they found Pilarowski’s truck running with its driver-side door open.
“We set up a perimeter and made entry into the home, where we found him deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Buckmaster says.
The two children are with an aunt; Authorities are trying to reunite the 9-year-old with his biological father, according to Buckmaster
PEOPLE was unable to reach any of Myny’s relatives for comment. Attempts to speak with Pilarowski’s family were also unsuccessful.
