Phoenix domestic dispute leaves four dead in apparent murder-suicide

A domestic dispute in Phoenix that ended in gunfire on Tuesday left four people dead, according to police.

A man killed his estranged wife, their teenage daughter and a male relative of the woman Tuesday afternoon before turning the weapon on himself, police said.

The woman had been scheduled to appear in court Tuesday to seek an order of protection from her husband, Phoenix Police Sgt. Trent Crump told reporters at the scene. It was not known if the order had been granted, he said.

According to Crump, the woman, accompanied by relatives, returned to the house to get belongings when the violence began.

The woman’s burned body was found in the backyard. The daughter’s body was found inside the home, and the male victim was found shot in the front yard, Crump said.

The body of the suspect, who shot himself, was found in a nearby alley, the officer said. None of the dead were identified.

The slayings come just weeks after five people died in another murder-suicide in Phoenix. In that Oct. 27 incident, a man shot four neighbors, all members of the same family, and then killed himself.

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