Philadelphia Cop Kills Wife, Self in Apparent Murder-Suicide: 'Very Sad'
A Philadelphia police officer fatally shot his wife and himself Monday morning, orphaning their two children, according to a number of local reports.
The Philadelphia Inquirer identifies the officer as 39-year-old Jose Rodriguez.
Responding to a 911 call from their 17-year-old daughter, police entered Rodriguez’s home in Juniata Park, finding his body and the remains of his 36-year-old wife, Ivelisse Rodriguez, the paper reports.
The couple were estranged, neighbors told the Inquirer.
The daughter reached out to police after several calls to her parents’ phones went unanswered, according to NBC 10 News.
The station indicates Rodriguez was an 11-year member of the Philadelphia Police force.
Neighbors told CBS 3 they did not hear the gunfire over the droning of their air conditioners.
The Inquirer reports that Ivelisse was shot several times before her husband took his own life.
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She was found in the living room while Rodriguez was discovered in the basement.
The paper spoke to Police Commissioner Richard Ross, who said it was “very sad when we made entry.”
Ross, speaking to CBS, said that it was “very unfortunate that you have these two lives that have been ended this way, but also we got a 17-year-old and 11-year-old who lost both their parents.”
