Police entered the home with SWAT and drone support after a caller warned that a murder-suicide was going to occur.
PEORIA, Ariz. — An 86-year-old man and a 78-year-old woman were found dead inside a Peoria home Wednesday after dispatchers heard gunshots during an open 911 call, authorities said.
Police and firefighters were sent to a home on 83rd Lane shortly before noon Sept. 30 after a caller reported that a murder-suicide was going to happen, according to Peoria police. The line remained open long enough for dispatchers to hear gunfire before it went silent. Officers later entered the residence and found both people dead with apparent gunshot wounds.
Authorities have not released the names of the man or woman. FOX 10 Phoenix reported that police described them as husband and wife. Detectives said preliminary evidence indicated the deaths may have both been suicides, but investigators had not reached a final determination about the circumstances.
Officers responded with members of the department’s SWAT team and used a drone operated through the Real Time Crime Center while approaching the residence. Police then entered the home and located the two people. Video from the scene showed crime scene tape around the front yard and an open garage door.
The home is in the area of 83rd Avenue and Beardsley Road in Peoria’s northwest Valley. Reports placed the police response at about 11:50 a.m. Authorities did not report finding anyone else injured inside the residence.
The initial 911 caller’s warning prompted fears that a murder-suicide was underway, but investigators later said the early evidence pointed toward a possible double suicide. Police have not publicly explained what led to the call, who placed it or what occurred immediately before the gunshots were heard.
The Peoria Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit is investigating the deaths. Authorities had not announced a final finding or released additional information about the circumstances surrounding the shootings as of Friday.
Author note: Last updated October 2, 2026.