Petaluma police investigate possible murder-suicide

The deaths of a man and woman discovered by their daughter in their Petaluma home Thursday morning are being investigated as a possible murder-suicide, the Petaluma Police Department said in a news release.

The couple’s daughter was distraught when she reported the deaths to police at 9:53 a.m. on Shenandoah Court, near Sonoma Mountain Parkway and Rainier Avenue on the east side of town, authorities said.

The first officer arrived at the home less than a minute later and confirmed what the daughter had initially reported. Both of her parents, who were inside the home, had been shot, the Police Department said.

A firearm that officers suspect was used in the deaths was also found inside the home, though the agency did not elaborate on where the weapon was found, or its proximity to either the man or the woman.

It was unclear why police suspect the couple may have died from a murder-suicide and officers did not immediately respond to attempts to reach the department for more information Thursday.

The agency declined to identify the pair pending death notifications by the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office.

Petaluma police ask anyone with information about the pair’s deaths to call Detective Matt Parnow at 707-778-4444.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.