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Panorama City Man Shoots And Kills His Wife And Himself In Front Of Seven Kids

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(Photo by Carl Ballou via Shutterstock)

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A Panorama City man killed his common-law wife before turning the gun on himself last night, all in the presence of extended family, including seven children.

According to a friend of the 41-year old man, whose name has not been released by the LAPD, the man had called to say that he was going to kill himself before the shooting took place. He later texted that he was going to kill his wife. The gunman had drank "at least five beers," the police told CBS 2.

The man fired a sawed-off shotgun in their apartment three times, one of which struck and killed his common-law wife, before he was "wrestled" out of the apartment by the boyfriend of the victim's 19-year old daughter. "It's lucky no one else was killed or wounded in that crowded apartment, either on purpose or by accident, thanks in part to the boyfriend," Lt. Paul Vernon of the LAPD told CBS 2. The gunman then turned the gun himself outside, shooting himself in the head.

Other occupants of the apartment at the time included a 10-year old daughter the woman and victim had together, the woman's two teenaged sons, her 19-year old daughter, and three of her grandchildren.

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