Three dead, boy rescued, after double murder-suicide near Visalia
A young boy has been rescued and three people are dead following a late-night hostage situation, northeast of Visalia.
TULARE COUNTY (KFSN) -- A young boy has been rescued and three people are dead following a late-night hostage situation, northeast of Visalia.
The incident began with a domestic violence call just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday. The situation quickly escalated and the SWAT team was called in.
"The male suspect in this case, we believe to be the suspect in this case, and a close relative of his both succumbed to gunshot wounds -- we believe died from these gunshot wounds and were found dead inside the home. A third victim was found shot and killed in the garage area," said Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
There were nine people in the home at the time, including a four-year-old boy. Several were able to make it outside safely, but the child was missing.
When authorities eventually entered the home they found two men and one woman dead in the home.
"We did in fact make entry into the home, our SWAT team did, discovering a small 4-year-old child inside the home, hiding in a closet, really shaking and fearing for his life. Our SWAT team, almost a cheer rang out from the fact that we were able to have that child removed from the home safely," said Boudreaux.
Sheriff Boudreaux said it was the people outside that helped locate him saying he was known to hide in that location. Boudreaux added it wasn't the first time they had been called to the home for a domestic violence situation. Deputies were called to the residence the day before.
Police are not identifying who was involved saying they're related but not saying how.
