In a tragic incident that has left a community in shock, a man in Oklahoma City is believed to have killed his estranged wife and their three children before turning the gun on himself. The incident, which police have described as a “massacre,” occurred late in the evening, with officers responding to a domestic call at a residence on the city’s northwest side.
Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered five individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. Three of the victims were already deceased. The alleged shooter, identified as 28-year-old Reuben Armendariz, and one of the children were rushed to the hospital, but both succumbed to their injuries.
Local media outlets reported a large area surrounding the home cordoned off with crime scene tape as police conducted their investigation. The motive behind the tragic incident remains unclear.
The early stages of the investigation are underway, with detectives working to unravel the sequence of events that led to the fatal shootings. The victims have been identified as 29-year-old Cassandra Flores, and the couple’s three children: Hillary, 9, Damaris, 5, and Matias Armendariz, 2.
Armendariz and Flores were married but had separated, according to police. Friends and neighbors have expressed their shock and disbelief at the incident. Jennifer Johnson, a friend of Flores, told a local CBS affiliate that she was struggling to come to terms with the news.
Neighbors reported seeing a woman drive up to the house and begin screaming, with several people gathering in the front yard. Another neighbor recalled often seeing the children playing in the yard, expressing her inability to comprehend the tragic event.