Washington Murder-Suicide: Man Kills Grandchild's Mother, Shoots Self Outside Convenience Store

A 60-year-old man shot and killed his grandchild's mother before turning the weapon on himself outside a convenience store in Kelso, Washington, on Friday evening. Local police identified the victims as Scott B Belenski, 60, and Brittany A. Thuney, 31.

On Friday, officers responded to reports of gunshots and a vehicle collision in the 1800 block of Bloyd Street. Police said officers were later notified about a second shooting in the 1700 block of Allen Street.

When officers arrived at the convenience store, they found both vehicles described from the initial shooting report and two people dead. Police said that Belenski parked his vehicle next to Thuney's vehicle, exited his vehicle and fired his gun several times into Thuney's vehicle while she was in the driver seat.

Police said Belenski then walked back to his vehicle and drove to the other side of the parking lot where he shot himself.

Evidence from the first shooting scene revealed Belenski shot more than once at Thuney while she was seated inside her vehicle and she collided with Belenski's vehicle as she was attempting to escape.

Further investigation into the shooting revealed that Belenski is the biological grandfather of Thuney's 7-year-old child. Before the shooting incident, the woman dropped off the baby with the child's father, who is Belenski's son.

Police said that Thuney's immediate family was caring for the child amid the ongoing investigation. 


According to FOX 12, 60-year-old Scott Belenski was charged with first-degree child molestation in March. He was due in court next month. The case remains under investigation.

The motive behind the murder-suicide remains unclear.

In another murder-suicide incident, a 37-year-old man shot dead a woman and her two teenage daughters before killing himself on May 17 in South Carolina. Authorities said that the killings took place at a home near St. Matthews following a domestic incident.

Calhoun County Coroner Donnie Porth announced early Monday that Shanta Singleton, 37, and two of her daughters – 15-year-old Essence Stroman and 12-year-old Trevay Stroman – were allegedly killed by the suspect, whose name hasn't been released pending notification of his next of kin.

Porth said that Singleton’s two other children survived the shooting.