A family in New Jersey experienced an unimaginable tragedy Tuesday, March 10, when a man shot and killed the mother of his three children and her parents before he turned the gun on himself, police confirmed.
Police responded to a home on Fairwood Drive around 5 a.m. on Tuesday after they received a report of shots being fired. Investigators said a man had entered the home moments before gunshots were heard going off inside of the house, according to a statement from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Ocean County Regional SWAT Team was called in and entered the house, where they found the bodies of homeowners 61-year-old Allan Russell and 60-year-old Michelle Russell. Both Allan and Michelle were suffering from gunshot wounds to the head.
As officers looked through the home, they found three children who were unharmed.
Officials also found a man who was suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The man — who was later identified as 37-year-old Vaughn Stewart — was taken to the Community Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead from his injuries.
Officers continued to investigate the scene, and they found multiple shell casings and the body of a third victim about 50 yards from the home. The third victim was eventually identified as Vaughn’s 38-year-old wife, Deonna Stewart.
Investigators determined that Deonna lived in the home with her three children and her parents, Allan and Michelle. Meanwhile, officials said that Vaughn was the father of Deonna’s children and the two had been living separately.
Authorities determined Vaughn entered the home early in the morning and shot both Allan and Michelle. It’s then believed that he chased Deonna down the street and fatally shot her. Officials said that Vaughn then returned to the home and died by suicide.
The three children found at the home are currently in the care of the Department of Child Protection and Permanency. It is unclear what they may have witnessed.
“This investigation remains active and ongoing, and additional information will be released at the appropriate time,” Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a statement about the incident, shared via social media. Billhimer also thanked the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Berkeley Township Police Department, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit for their help and collaboration amid the investigation.
Details about Vaughn’s relationship with his estranged family members have not been shared. It’s not currently clear how long he and Deonna were separated and what their coparenting relationship looked like at the time of the killings.
After the victims were identified, one neighbor spoke to the Asbury Park Press and shared that Allan and Michelle were “the most amazing people.” The neighbor added that the couple was originally from Jamaica and they both worked in the medical field.
Meanwhile, neighbor James Casella also told NJ.com that Allan and Michelle were always looking out for him and his three kids. “They called me once every couple of weeks just to check in on us,” he shared. “My kids look out the back window just to see if they’re out there, just to say ‘hi’ to them. It really hit us hard. They were truly great, great people.”
