Fort Myers Police confirm 2 dead in what family called a murder-suicide shooting

A shooting that happened at 3:20 a.m. Saturday on William Street, near Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard and Michigan Avenue, appears to be a murder-suicide, said family members.

Family members told WINK News a loved one was shot at her home and they blamed her ex-boyfriend.

Fort Myers police confirmed the incident was a murder-suicide on Sunday.

The scene grew throughout the morning as officers, including K-9 units, FDLE, paramedics and fire fighters all responded.

Officers searched the bushes with flashlights and removed items from the home in brown paper bags.

The neighborhood was full of people in distress and undeniable confusion over how and why this could have happened.

WINK News spoke with family members, and they said they had no doubt who caused this horrible situation.

“My sister and stuff, they called me. They said her ex-boyfriend came over and just started,” said Jerome, uncle of the female victim. “I guess they had a real conversation at first, and then he just pulled out a gun and start shooting.”

Cousins of the victim told WINK that her immediate family said she was sitting on a porch in the back of her house when her ex-boyfriend ambushed her in the dark, around 3 a.m. Saturday.

FMPD said when units responded and got to the area, they found a woman suffering from at least one gunshot wound.

She was taken to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.

Responding officers at the scene later tracked down the suspect.

“During a search for a suspect, canine units along with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit was able to locate a person behind another house,” said Glenn Thompson, sergeant of the FMPD Homicide Unit. “When officers and K-9 got up there, unfortunately, they discover that that person appears to have been deceased from a apparent self-inflicted gunshot injury.”

Family members close to the victim came together to pick up the pieces after this unexpected tragedy.

“She’s never hurt,” Jerome said. “No one she’s trying to get along with, everybody, and it’s just a sad, sad, sad day. And when we got to try to get together and try to deal with these losses and bury and try to try to come together and move on, I guess that’s all we can do.”

FMPD said they will need to finish their investigation to confirm that this is a possible murder-suicide, but the victim’s family confirmed the relationship between the victim and her killer was domestic.

FMPD said the suspect has been identified. They said there is no threat to the public.