Married couple found dead from gunshot wounds in their front yard

JAY — The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office is investigating a possible murder-suicide that occurred early Tuesday.

According to a news release from the Sheriff's Office, deputies responded about 5:20 a.m. to a 911 call that reported a shooting in the 3700 block of Hazel Godwin Road in Jay. When they arrived, deputies discovered the bodies of Bobby Ray Waters, 55, and Veronica Ann Waters, 51, in the front yard of the home.

Major crimes detectives and crime scene technicians arrived soon after. The case involving the married couple was being investigated as a murder-suicide, according to the news release.

The Sheriff's Office reported that both people died from gunshot wounds. It was initially believed that Bobby Ray Waters was the shooter.

The street where the shooting occurred is home to many members of the victims’ family. Relatives and friends were found outside the home raking the yard in the area where the bodies were found.

"It's a tragedy. It's a bad day," a relative said at the scene.

Alicia Adams of the Santa Rosa Press Gazette contributed to this report.