A Fair Lawn New Jersey man allegedly killed his parents at their local home and then set fire to the residence before committing suicide.
According to Bergen County officials, the 53-year-old suspect committed the violent crimes at the Fair Lawn NJ home of his parents. The suspect allegedly used a handgun to shoot both of his parents. The suspect’s father was 76 years old; his mother was 73 years old.
After the suspect allegedly murdered his parents, he reportedly started a fire and committed arson by attempting to burn down the home.
The suspect then allegedly used the handgun to shoot himself.
The Fair Lawn Police Department and the Fair Lawn Fire Department dispatched personnel to the area around midnight after neighbors dialed 911 to report smoke coming from the house. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they were able to stop the fire from spreading.
While fighting the blaze, firefighters found the three bodies inside the Fair Lawn home. All three individuals had sustained gunshot wounds.
Fair Lawn NJ police officers later searched the residence and found the handgun that may have been used to commit the homicides.
The Bergen County Medical Examiner’s Office recently conducted an autopsy on the bodies and said that the cause of death for the victims was homicide and the cause of death for the suspect was homicide.
The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the Fair Lawn Police Department are currently conducting a joint investigation into what they are calling a “double murder-suicide.”
For further information about this case, see the Patch.com article, “Bergen Man Killed His Parents, Set Their House on Fire, and Killed Himself: Prosecutor.”