In a tragic incident that has left a community in shock, an Oklahoma man is believed to have fatally shot his estranged wife and their three young children before turning the gun on himself. The Oklahoma City Police Department responded to a domestic call late Wednesday night, discovering a horrifying scene of five individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.
Upon arrival, officers found three people already deceased. The two survivors, identified as the suspected shooter, 28-year-old Ruben Armendariz, and one of the children, were rushed to nearby hospitals. However, both succumbed to their injuries, according to police reports.
Investigators have identified the victims as Cassandra Flores, 29, and the couple’s three children: Hillary Armendariz, 9, Damaris Armendariz, 5, and Matias Armendariz, 2. Police believe that Armendariz and Flores were married but had separated. Preliminary investigations suggest that Armendariz shot his family before attempting suicide.
The investigation is still in its early stages, with detectives working diligently to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the tragic incident. The police department has refrained from speculating on a motive for the shootings, stating that their primary focus is to piece together the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, with neighbors expressing their grief and disbelief. One neighbor recalled often seeing the children playing in the front yard, while another described the heart-wrenching scene of a woman arriving at the home and beginning to scream.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Flores’s family to help cover funeral expenses. The tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of domestic violence and the importance of providing support and resources to those in potentially dangerous situations.