5 dead in Arizona murder-suicide were relatives

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5 dead in Arizona murder-suicide were relatives
By ASTRID GALVAN

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A Tucson man gunned down four of his family members, including his 17-year-old niece, before fatally shooting himself in a murder-suicide, police said Wednesday.

Police said Christopher Carrillo, 25, killed his relatives in the family home in a blue-collar neighborhood on the south side of Tucson.

The others killed were 58-year-old Raul Carillo, 53-year-old Karen Saari, 32-year-old Erick Carrillo and 17-year-old Isela Rodriguez.

Police did not know what led to the shooting and an investigation was ongoing.

The bodies were found Tuesday evening by a man who went to the single-story house.

Details remained sparse, but all the people killed had signs of gunshot trauma, police Sgt. Pete Dugan said.

The home had a no-trespassing sign on the door, and two tricycles and a small basketball court in front. An abandoned home stood on one side of the residence.

Neighbor Araceli Zatarain said a family of four has lived in the home for more than 20 years. Police officers arrived at the home with guns drawn and demanded that Christopher Carrillo come out, she said.

Police later went inside and found the bodies.

Zatarain and other neighbors said they thought there was possible drug activity in the neighborhood.

She said she was not close with the family but always greeted them. The patriarch, Raul Carillo, spent a lot of time outside walking and sweeping the floor, said Zatarain's daughter, Carol Ibarra.

Ibarra says she didn't see Raul Carrillo outside at all on Tuesday and also didn't hear any strange noises or gunshots.

Lupita Garcia, the grandmother of Isela Rodriguez's boyfriend, said she was stunned and saddened.

Rodriguez, who went by the name "Chela," lived with Garcia and was visiting her grandparents.

Garcia said her grandson became worried after Rodriguez stopped responding to his calls. He ran frantically for nearly a mile and found police tape around the house when he arrived, Garcia said the grandson was so devastated that he was hospitalized and later released.

Garcia said he had been dating Rodriguez for several years. She described the teenage girl as kind and pleasant.

"I've never had a pain like this," said Garcia.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-05-14