California Man Fatally Shoots Ex-Girlfriend's Sister And Himself In Murder-Suicide

Two people died in an apparent murder-suicide Saturday night, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed. A man fired several shots at a car occupied by two female passengers, leading to the death of the person in the driver's seat.

CHP believes the woman who died wasn't the intended target.

The incident occurred in the southbound lane of the 41 freeway near Ashlan Avenue in Fresno, California. Investigation revealed that a 30-year-old man from Squaw Valley had followed the car after spotting his 25-year-old ex-girlfriend in the passenger seat of the car, driven by her now-deceased 28-year-old sister.

"At some point, he was just able to coerce them to pull over," patrol officer Mike Salas said, as reported by ABC30. The suspect exited his vehicle, walked toward the car, and pulled out his handgun. The driver attempted to back up the car, and enter the main traffic lanes. At this point, the suspect opened fire and struck her before fleeing from the area in his vehicle.

The woman who was driving crashed into a wall after being shot. The woman in the passenger seat called 911 to report that her sister had been shot. Cops responded to the scene after 10 p.m. local time.

The driver was found in an unresponsive state and rushed to the hospital where she later died. The ex-girlfriend escaped the situation without a scratch.

"We do believe that the passenger was the intended target," Salas says. "Unfortunately, her sister is the one who sustained those fatal injuries."

As for the suspect, Fresno police officers spotted his vehicle and tried to get him to pull over. The chase ended after the man drove up a slope, pulled out a handgun, and fatally shot himself.

The incident is being investigated, and police say the man's ex had a restraining order against him. "We do believe this is a series of domestic violence incidents that stem from some prior incidents," officer Salas said.

In another case of apparent domestic violence murder-suicide, a Florida man with a history of domestic violence fatally shot his wife and injured his 5-year-old daughter before pulling the trigger on himself. The incident occurred at a residence in Pasco County's Land O'Lakes on Dec. 14. The child was treated for a gunshot wound in the arm and, with no surviving parents, was placed in the care of Child Protective Services.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours a day.