Police describe domestic related murder-suicide in Port St. Lucie

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PORT ST. LUCIE — Two people died Wednesday after what Port St. Lucie police called an apparent domestic-related murder-suicide.

A 56-year-old man in a white sedan was following a gray pickup on Southwest Savona Boulevard, Detective Sgt. Joe Norkus said.

The pickup was being driven by a 30-year-old man, while the 36-year-old wife of the man in the sedan was the passenger, Norkus said. The 30-year-old man is the boyfriend of the 36-year-old woman, according to police.

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“About 1:34 this afternoon, we started getting calls of a disturbance, a report of a man down in a residential driveway … at Fletcher Lane and Savona Boulevard,” Norkus said, standing at the scene near Southwest Savona and Southwest Gatlin boulevards.

Investigators found the 56-year-old man dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound by the gray truck.

Norkus said the truck evidently pulled over or stopped at Southwest Savona Boulevard and Southwest Fletcher Lane. The 56-year-old man shot the 30-year-old driver, who accelerated and crashed into a home, causing minor damage.

The 30-year-old man was taken to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce and died.

Norkus said the 56-year-old man was found next to the truck.

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“This is an apparent murder-suicide,” Norkus said. “This is domestic related.”

Investigators recovered a revolver believed to have been used in the incident. Two shots were fired.

“The husband walked up to the passenger side and confronted his wife before taking his own life and was pronounced dead at the scene,” a release said.

The woman was not injured.

Norkus said the husband and wife have two children, and they are with other relatives.

Police blocked off portions of Southwest Savona Boulevard, and the home the gray truck crashed into was surrounded with yellow tape.

Norkus said the 36-year-old woman was being interviewed and is the main witness.

The identities of those involved were not released.

Neighbor Elaine Casazza said she’s only lived in the area for five days. She said it was a mystery what occurred.

“It wasn’t here before and when I came home the street was all blocked off,” she said.

Another neighbor, Jeff Grisetti, said he’s lived in the area about six years. He said the neighborhood is a nice one.

He said he wasn’t concerned for his safety.

“I don’t care where you go,” he said. “It happens to the best of the neighborhoods.”