Two Dead Despite SWAT Team Action

"ANTIOCH, CA — A man shot his wife to death, then took his own life early this morning following marital and financial difficulties, police said.

"Uncertainty surrounding the deaths and concerns for public safety prompted police to lock down the neighborhood surrounding the intersection of Black Diamond and Mt. Hamilton drives for most of the morning. Nearby Dallas Ranch and Lone Tree elementary schools also were locked down briefly.

"By the time a SWAT team stormed the couple's two-story home in the 1700 block of Mt. Hamilton Drive about 11 a.m., they were likely dead for several hours, said Capt. Allan Cantando.

"The victims were both 45 years old. Their identities have not been released because it was not certain that their children, a 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter who were out of the area, have been notified about the deaths.

"Cantando said relatives told police that the husband and wife had been experiencing difficulties in their relationship and with money. Several relatives were at the cordoned-off residential block and spoke with investigators.

"The ordeal began just after 4 a.m. when someone called police dispatchers saying they had gotten a call from a despondent friend who lived at the home. Police soon got a call from the man himself.

"`He said he shot his wife and was going to shoot himself as well,` Cantando said.

"Around the same time, a neighbor called police to report hearing gunfire.

"Police surrounded the home and sealed off the neighborhood. Over the course of several hours, a SWAT team and officers dressed in tactical gear with ballistic shields arrived, and eventually moved toward the home.

"At 11 a.m., a flashbang grenade was deployed, the ensuing boom echoing throughout the neighborhood. The officers entered the home and found the husband and wife dead from gunshot wounds in the master bedroom.

"Cantando said investigators believe the deaths occurred shortly after the early morning police calls. They found a note at the scene, but Cantando declined to reveal what it contained."

Source: Contra Costa Times...