Three people found dead in Carrollton house fire believed to be double murder-suicide, police say

CARROLLTON, Texas — Carrollton police are investigating the deaths of three people who were found Saturday in a North Carrollton house fire. They have since confirmed that it was double murder-suicide.

Firefighters responded to a report of smoke in the 3900 block of Alto Avenue just before 5 p.m., a City of Carrollton news release stated. They found the house on fire and three adults dead inside after putting it out. 

Two of the victims, a 51-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man, are believed to have died before the fire spread, police said, and had obvious signs of trauma. A 53-year-old man was also found with a gunshot to the head. 

Investigators are still working to determine the exact cause of death for the two others, the release added.

All three victims belonged to the same family, the release detailed. They have not yet been identified.

Neighbors and sources told WFAA that an elderly man and his son and daughter, who are in their 50s, were the ones who died.

The son was the one who died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, sources said.

Initial evidence showed this to be an isolated incident with no related threat to the area.

Neighbors said they watched as the Carrollton home quickly burned. One neighbor grabbed his phone to record as soon as he saw the smoke.

“I came in 30 seconds to get my phone to take a picture and it was up in a lot of smoke,” the neighbor said.

“The roof had a whole bunch of smoke and flames coming out,” said another neighbor, Lisa Goddard.

One neighbor told WFAA he spoke to the son just days ago to ask him about his mother who recently had a stroke and is in the hospital.

“At the end of the conversation he said you have to go out and live life because you never know what happens and he said you can go 20 or 30 years without being happy and I said yes I will pray for your mom and I left,” the neighbor said.

Police said they have never responded for any other calls at the home and are trying to determine why this happened.