DOVER — The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office and local police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that occurred Tuesday morning at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.

According to officials, police responded to a report of gunshots fired inside the hospital’s critical care unit shortly after 6 a.m. A man and a woman were found dead inside a private room when police arrived at the scene.

Although Assistant Attorney General Jay McCormack would not release the identity of the victims, officials said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon that they believed the couple was husband and wife.

The two have been identified by multiple media reports as Mark A. Lavoie of Dover and his wife, Kathy, based on a posting on Lavoie’s Facebook page. Lavoie posted his intentions in what appears to be a suicide note just moments before the incident.

“I want to start off by saying this is going to be officially ruled a murder-suicide, when in all actuality, it is a double suicide,” Lavoie wrote.

Lavoie posted that his wife had been suffering from mental illness since childhood. He wrote that she had been “trying to escape the bi-polar demons that have been swirling around in her brain since childhood and now because of my selfishness in dialing 911 she is experiencing the only thing she feared more than her illness…life support on a respirator.”

Lavoie continued that his wife had a living will with a do-not-resuscitate order that was not heeded by doctors.

“I am more than happy to sacrifice my life to fix my doing and join her spirit in a happier place,” Lavoie wrote.

Lavoie’s post included final instructions regarding his home, property and finances. He also asked that family pets be taken care of.

Lavoie wrote that he and his wife were organ donors and he would like to be cremated with his wife after their organs were harvested.

“I don’t care what is done with the ashes, but I know Kathy loves Damariscotta Lake,” Lavoie wrote.

Damariscotta Lake is in Lincoln County, Maine.

Lavoie’s sister, Dorcas Lavoie, confirmed to the The Associated Press that her brother, Mark, shot his wife, Katherine, "out of love" before killing himself at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital on Tuesday.

"They both loved each other very much," she told The Associated Press, declining to comment further.

Assistant Attorney General McCormack did not reveal how many gunshots were fired Tuesday morning and said autopsies on the bodies will be conducted Wednesday.

Hospital President Gregory Walker said he was saddened when he learned about the incident. Walker emphasized that no other patients were affected and the hospital’s services were never disrupted during the course of the day.

Asked about the hospital’s policy on firearms, Walker said they are not allowed into the facility.

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, 763 people had shared Lavoie’s Facebook post. Many of the 93 comments on the page were supportive and sympathetic to Lavoie and his family.

Wayne Laverdiere of Strafford wrote, “You’ve touched so many people in a positive way through your time here. You will be forever missed and never forgotten.”

Lavoie is originally from Berlin. He graduated from Berlin High School in 1983.

Friends of Lavoie had trouble coming to grips Tuesday with the news that he is suspected of shooting his wife and then turning the gun on himself.

Kristine Roy, of Berlin, who attended Berlin High School with Lavoie, said she could not believe the news.

“I knew Mark many years ago,” she said. “He was just a great, loving guy. I know his wife was his life from everything that I’ve ever read that he posted. I haven’t seen or talked to him in many years, and I’m just devastated. All I can say is all his friends are just devastated. I’m very sad.”

Milan resident Sharon Horne said she was shocked that Lavoie, who attended high school with her son before the two graduated in 1983, would do something like this.

“If anybody sees the (Facebook) post, (Kathy) was his ‘one,’” Horne said. “I haven’t seen Mark in years, but I know my son has. There were a number of kids (who) all hung out together. They were good kids.”

According to a report in the New York Daily News, co-worker Bob Brubach said, “He was the last type of guy you would expect this from.”

Foster’s was unable to reach Brubach Tuesday, but the Daily News said he worked with Lavoie for 10 years at Portsmouth Ford Lincoln Auto Group, where Brubach is the operations manager.

“He was just a great person,” Brubach is quoted. “He must have had unconditional love (for Kathy) beyond belief for him to want to do this for his wife. Just to keep her from suffering.”

Brubach said that Lavoie was always in a great mood, and that when he saw Lavoie at work on Friday, there was no indication that anything was amiss, the New York Daily News reported.

Other friends expressed similar sentiments in the Facebook comments section near Lavoie’s suicide note.

Charlene Wood, of New Durham, said Lavoie chose to end Kathy’s life to honor her wishes.

“I think Marks choice was to not remain here without Kathy and face….criminal charges,” the post read. “He made sure he honored her wishes which was to not be in a vegetative state! Until our country can honor right to die laws, people will have to make very difficult choices to end their pain and suffering! He had such courage to carry out her wishes and put her life before his own.... such honor and respect for his wife!”

— Reporters Casey Conley and Morgan Palmer contributed to this report.

If you need help

The region's 24-hour suicide hotline is (800) 273-8255 and information is available at www.theconnectproject.org.