Father shoots son and daughter in head

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/03/puyallup-father-shoots-son-and-daughter-in-head/

An elderly Puyallup (Washington state) father who police say shot his adult children early Sunday, killing one of them, is in custody.

Puyallup Deputy Police Chief Dave McDonald said the man’s 43-year-old daughter was pronounced dead at Tacoma General Hospital. His 46-year-old son was in critical condition.

McDonald said the 69-year-old shooter called police at about 3:30 in the morning to say he had shot both his children and was about to shoot himself at his home on the 1500 block of 5th Street Southeast, McDonald said.

The dispatcher was able to convince him not to kill himself as police surrounded the house. The man surrendered following a tense negotiation on his dark porch, McDonald said.

Detectives say it appears the son and daughter were asleep when they were shot.

The shooter’s two grandchildren, ages 6 and 7, and wife were asleep during the shooting and were unharmed, according to police. The children have been taken into protective custody.

McDonald said police have been to the shooter’s house multiple times in the past because of fights, often involving alcohol, between the shooter and his adult children, who were living at the home. He said there was no reason to believe the shooter was under the influence of alcohol that particular morning, though.