County attorney's widower drank heavily before fatal Christmas Eve shooting, Phoenix police say

David DeNitto's two sons fled from their home moments before their father fired at least 25 rounds from an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, killing two women and then ending his own life on Christmas Eve, a Phoenix police report revealed.

Hours of drinking at DeNitto's holiday gathering at his home near Bethany Home Road and Seventh Avenue led to arguments that escalated to violence, according to the report, obtained by The Arizona Republic on Wednesday.

DeNitto, 47, a financial adviser, was the widower of former Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel.

Police identified the two women that DeNitto shot and killed to be Maryalice "Molly" Cash, 47, and her mother, Cynthia Domini, 83. Cash was in a relationship with DeNitto.

The holiday gathering initially included DeNitto; DeNitto's two sons; Domini and Domini's son; and Cash and Cash's son and his girlfriend. Domini's son left the house about 10 minutes before the shooting, according to the police report.

Cash's son told police that the gathering was "going fine" until DeNitto became aggressive, telling his boys to shut up and using expletives.

When Cash argued with her mother, DeNitto began lifting the rocking chair that the 83-year-old woman was sitting in, witnesses told police. Cash told DeNitto to stop before DeNitto went into the kitchen and began breaking glass, according to the police report.

DeNitto then told everyone to get out of his house, according to multiple witness statements to police.

Cash's son and his girlfriend ushered people out of the home, collecting their dog and loading their car, the police report said.

As they were leaving, DeNitto grabbed Cash from behind and pushed her "head first" into the garage wall, the report said. Cash's son told police that he "body checked" DeNitto and punched him in the face, at least once.

After Cash's son was separated from DeNitto, Cash's son and his girlfriend saw DeNitto grab his AR-15-style firearm and aim it at them, according to the police report. The two of them got in their car and drove away briefly, before Cash's son decided to go back to get his mother and grandmother.

When they returned to the front of the house, both Cash's son and his girlfriend told police that they could see Cash, Domini and DeNitto's two sons in the garage, the police report said. DeNitto's two sons ran from the garage after DeNitto fired three shots. The boys got into the car before Cash's son drove off.

Cash's son told police he could see his grandmother on the ground, face down, as he drove off. He and his girlfriend both dialed 911.

A summary of the girlfriend's 911 call stated that they had heard around 10-14 gunshots and they believed DeNitto would shoot Cash.

Police said they found DeNitto dead inside the house. Cash and Domini, who were both shot, were taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Officers recovered a Smith & Wesson M&P15, which is an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle, as well as 25 casings at the scene of the murder-suicide.

Several witnesses and relatives told police that DeNitto had a tense relationship with Domini, who had dementia. Cash was her primary caretaker and the two women often argued, and DeNitto resented that.

DeNitto's late wife, Adel, died at 45 in April 2022 from what he termed "health complications." Adel was the first woman elected the county's top prosecutor in 2020. She resigned the month before her death after concerns about her sobriety.

Police initially released the two children into the care of DeNitto's parents.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix police: David DeNitto drank heavily before Christmas shooting