Man fatally shot girlfriend, self in apparent murder-suicide, Phoenix police say

Two people died in an apparent murder-suicide near Central Avenue and Union Hills Drive on Sunday, Phoenix police said.

Officers went to a home for a domestic violence call at about 8:45 a.m. on Sunday after receiving reports that a man had killed his girlfriend and was attempting to kill himself, Phoenix police said in a news release.

Officers attempted to reach the occupants of the home by cell phone and loudspeaker but did not receive an answer, the release states. They received a search warrant to enter the home and found Ila Washington, 70, and Darryle Mooney, 59, dead.

Phoenix police said preliminary information indicates that Mooney fatally shot Washington and then shot himself before police arrived.

The investigation was still active, according to police. Detectives were continuing to go over evidence and were waiting for the medical examiner's office findings.

Murder-suicides can stem from many reasons, including extreme stress, clinical depression, loss and more.

Violence Policy Center said that there are about 600 murder-suicides each year in the United States, claiming the lives of 1,000-1,500 people.

Seven people died in metro Phoenix in two separate murder-suicide incidents during six days in December.

In Arizona, people can call the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, 602-279-2900 or 1-800-782-6400 or visit its website, acesdv.org/helpline.

The Phoenix police website, www.phoenix.gov/domesticviolence, has a list of places people can contact in Maricopa County.

Reporters Elena Santa Cruz and Kye Graves contributed to this article.

Reach the reporter at sslade@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @shelbygslade.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 2 dead in murder-suicide shooting, Phoenix police say