The couple’s two daughters discovered their parents after returning home from school to an east Las Vegas apartment.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Authorities have identified a separated Las Vegas couple whose daughters found them dead after returning home from school, with police concluding that the husband fatally shot his wife before dying by suicide inside her east valley apartment.
The Clark County coroner’s office identified the woman as Ashley Apodaca-Avila, 33, and the man as Joaquin Novelo, 33. The coroner determined that Apodaca-Avila died from a gunshot wound and ruled her death a homicide. Novelo also died from a gunshot wound, and his death was ruled a suicide. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detectives said the couple had recently separated before the Aug. 24 shooting.
Police were called to an apartment in the 4900 block of South Nellis Boulevard, near East Tropicana Avenue, at about 3:40 p.m. Aug. 24 after receiving a report that two people had been shot. Lt. Robert Price said one of the couple’s daughters, described as a teenager, had returned home from school and called authorities after finding her mother and father. Officers found both adults with gunshot wounds and attempted to provide aid until medical personnel arrived. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said Novelo went to the apartment earlier in the afternoon and forced his way inside while Apodaca-Avila was away. Police believe he remained inside until she returned home. Detectives determined that Novelo then shot Apodaca-Avila before shooting himself. The department’s written statement described the couple as recently separated. Authorities have not publicly released a motive or explained what investigators believe led to the shooting.
The couple’s two daughters arrived after the shooting and discovered their parents, according to police. Authorities have released few details about the children because of their ages and the circumstances of the case. Police said a guardian came to care for them after officers responded to the apartment. Neither daughter was reported physically injured in the incident.
The case was initially reported as an apparent murder-suicide while homicide detectives worked at the scene. The coroner’s later findings provided the official identification of the two people and classified Apodaca-Avila’s death as a homicide and Novelo’s as a suicide. Police have not announced evidence that anyone else was involved and described the shooting as an isolated incident.
Apodaca-Avila’s relatives have since created a fundraiser for her daughters as the family deals with the deaths. In the fundraiser, relatives remembered her as a devoted mother who worked hard to care for her children. The family said the girls would be surrounded by relatives as they adjust to the loss of both parents. Public reporting has not identified the children here because they are minors who were directly affected by a violent family death.
News 3 reported that an uncle of Apodaca-Avila said the couple had experienced problems in the past, but authorities have not publicly detailed those issues or said whether police had previously responded to domestic incidents involving the couple. No confirmed information has been released about events immediately preceding Novelo’s arrival at the apartment, and investigators have not announced what prompted him to go there that afternoon.
The deaths add to the domestic-violence cases being investigated by Las Vegas police this year. Local officials have identified domestic violence as a significant factor in a number of homicides, but authorities have not released enough information to determine whether any earlier intervention or police contact occurred in this specific case. Investigators have focused publicly on the sequence established after the shooting: the couple had separated, Novelo entered the apartment, and Apodaca-Avila was killed after returning home.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Section continues to investigate the deaths. As of Aug. 29, police had not announced a motive or released additional findings explaining the circumstances that led to the shooting.
Author note: Last updated August 29, 2026.