Tampa Murder-Suicide: Hillsborough Man Killed Wife And Daughter Before Fatally Shooting Himself

Police in Tampa suspect a man killed his wife and daughter before fatally shooting himself in a double murder-suicide.

According to a press release, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Thomas Shultz, 64, called 911 and revealed he planned to shoot himself.

“At 6:17 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, a 911 call was made by Thomas Schultz, 64, during which Schultz said he was “in an impossible situation with no way out” and planning to commit suicide at his home on the 13000 block of Graham Yarden Drive in Riverview. Schultz disconnected the call with a dispatcher before giving details on why he wanted to end his life,” the release states.

When deputies arrived at the Riverview home, they discovered Shultz deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials then found Joy Schultz, 84, dead in a bedroom. Police believe she was killed in her sleep.

In a different room, officers found Thomas Schultz’s stepdaughter, who was in her 50s, shot dead while lying in a bed with feeding tubes.

The family of the deceased reportedly told the Sheriff’s Office that both women were diagnosed with terminal illnesses.

Sheriff Chad Chronister later noted the importance of acknowledging that May is Mental Health Awareness Month during a press conference. “There is no such thing as ‘an impossible situation’ with no way out,” he said.

“There is always hope, there is always help. And here in the Tampa Bay area, we have such wonderful resources — some as easy as picking up the phone and calling the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, by simply dialing 211. It’s OK not to be OK; it’s just not OK not to ask for help.”

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the incident. Law enforcement has not identified a motive for the murder-suicide.