Gaston County Police are investigating a triple homicide that they say started Monday with a woman killing her husband in their home, but they still don't know the identities of the other man and woman found dead in the Alexis home northeast of Stanley.

Police were called to the home of Giovanni and Crystal Gambino at 155 Alexis-Lucia Road around 8 p.m. Monday by a concerned family member, said Gaston County Police Capt. Curtis Rosselle. Inside the home officers found two men and a woman shot to death. One of the dead was 40-year-old Giovanni James Gambino, Roselle said.

A few miles away, police found Giovanni Gambino's wife, 42-year-old Crystal Leah Gambino, at a family member's house in Stanley. Police charged her with first-degree murder in the death of her husband. She was booked into Gaston County Jail at 12:03 a.m. Tuesday without bond.

Crystal Gambino told police the incident began as a domestic dispute, something between the husband and wife, Rosselle said.

"It just appears something wasn't right and this is the action she took," Rosselle said.

Police believe all three people were killed by the same handgun at the same time Monday. But police do not know the identities of the other man and woman found dead. All of those killed were found on the property, but not necessarily inside the home. Police expect to charge Crystal Gambino in the deaths of the man and woman once their identities are known.

"The big thing is why are these people here and where are they from," Rosselle said. Police believe they were visitors to the home.

"This is not a normal occurrence in Gaston County, nor should it be anywhere," Rosselle said. "We are shocked by it, but we have a job to do and we will investigate."

Police did not report finding drugs in the home, Rosselle said. There were no cars in the driveway that belonged to anyone other than the Gambino family. Two Gambino children also live at the home, but the oldest child was away at college. A pre-teen child was not at home at the time, Rosselle said.

Rosselle said the family member who first called police met officers at the home before they went inside.

"They had heard there might have been some problems at the house," Rosselle said. "They didn't expect this. But who would expect this."