A 60-year-old man shot his sister and later committed suicide inside a house in southern New Jersey, authorities said.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning in a residence on Bethel Avenue, Pennsauken, where police received a report about shootings and a man armed with a gun around 9:00 a.m.
According to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Daniel Lopez shot his sister, Janet Camacho, and left her wounded on the entrance stairs before returning inside and shooting herself.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Camacho on the front stairs of the residence.
The woman was urgently taken to Cooper University Hospital, where she died shortly after her injuries, according to authorities.
After receiving the report, the officers established a security perimeter around the residence.
Images spread by WPVI showed police escorting some neighbors outside their homes as the operation was underway.
Because the armed man was believed to remain inside the house, authorities deployed a robotic dog to inspect the property.
Approximately 90 minutes after the initial call, officers located Lopez inside the apartment.
The man had died as a result of a bullet wound that, according to the authorities, inflicted on himself.
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office determined that the case corresponds to a murder followed by suicide.
However, authorities are still investigating what led Lopez to shoot at his sister and later take his own life.
Police have not any other injuries related to the incident.
A recording of the area’s surveillance cameras, obtained by WPVI, would have recorded part of the attack and the subsequent moments.
The case caused surprise among some neighbors, who knew Lopez.
Michelle Jimenez, a local resident and family friend, told WPVI that the man had been close to his family for years.
“We used to invite him a lot to family parties. he was always our guest,” Jimenez said.
The woman recalled that Lopez used to be kind to her and her brothers and even prepared baked products for them.
“It was just shocking for me. I couldn’t believe it,” he said.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Camacho and Lopez continues.
