Vegas officer, wife and son dead in murder-suicide
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas police lieutenant, his wife and son are dead after an apparent double murder, suicide and arson at their home in Boulder City, authorities said Monday.
Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie and other officials didn't immediately identify the police officer or the family members, pending positive identification and the release of names by the Clark County coroner.
"There was an incident today involving one if Metro's lieutenants," a somber Gillespie said in a 2 1/2-minute statement to reporters at a hastily called news conference. "Several bodies were discovered."
Coroner Michael Murphy said after investigators left the fire-charred home Monday afternoon that identifications would probably be made Tuesday.
Gillespie, the elected head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said the lieutenant was a 20-year Las Vegas police veteran. Gillespie spoke of unanswered questions and "untold grief" for family members, friends and co-workers. He took no questions.
The sheriff said the investigation in Boulder City, about 20 miles southeast of Las Vegas, was being handled by police in neighboring Henderson.
Henderson police spokesman Keith Paul said a man called 911 at about 8:20 a.m. Monday and told a dispatcher he killed his wife and child, set his house afire and would shoot anyone who approached.
The home is owned by Hans Walters, according to Clark County assessor records. Many know Walters as a Las Vegas police lieutenant married to a former Las Vegas police officer, Kathryn Walters. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that she left the department in 2005.
Boulder City police arrived to find the homeowner with a handgun in the doorway of the burning house before he retreated back inside and apparently killed himself, Paul said.
No shots were fired by police or SWAT officers from Henderson and North Las Vegas who later found the bodies of a 52-year-old man, a 46-year-old woman and a boy inside, Paul said. Officials said the boy was believed to be about 7.
"We're investigating the incident as a murder-suicide at this time," Paul said.
Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie and other officials didn't immediately identify the police officer or the family members, pending positive identification and the release of names by the Clark County coroner.
"There was an incident today involving one if Metro's lieutenants," a somber Gillespie said in a 2 1/2-minute statement to reporters at a hastily called news conference. "Several bodies were discovered."
Coroner Michael Murphy said after investigators left the fire-charred home Monday afternoon that identifications would probably be made Tuesday.
Gillespie, the elected head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said the lieutenant was a 20-year Las Vegas police veteran. Gillespie spoke of unanswered questions and "untold grief" for family members, friends and co-workers. He took no questions.
The sheriff said the investigation in Boulder City, about 20 miles southeast of Las Vegas, was being handled by police in neighboring Henderson.
Henderson police spokesman Keith Paul said a man called 911 at about 8:20 a.m. Monday and told a dispatcher he killed his wife and child, set his house afire and would shoot anyone who approached.
The home is owned by Hans Walters, according to Clark County assessor records. Many know Walters as a Las Vegas police lieutenant married to a former Las Vegas police officer, Kathryn Walters. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that she left the department in 2005.
Boulder City police arrived to find the homeowner with a handgun in the doorway of the burning house before he retreated back inside and apparently killed himself, Paul said.
No shots were fired by police or SWAT officers from Henderson and North Las Vegas who later found the bodies of a 52-year-old man, a 46-year-old woman and a boy inside, Paul said. Officials said the boy was believed to be about 7.
"We're investigating the incident as a murder-suicide at this time," Paul said.
is it so hard to leave the kids/spouse out of your decision?
Another reason why police should have to turn in their weapon at the end of their shift like the military does.
 @Tom WestonÂ
The article does not indicate if he used a department issued weapon or personal weapon. Let me guess though...You couldn't pass the tests to get hired in law enforcement so you post ignorant comments like this.
 @Tom Weston where does it say he used his duty weapon?
What kind of meds was he on?
 @DarkParty Let me guess 'roids and either anti-psychotics or antidepressants. And alcohol.
Sad.
I guess this officer did not read the new department policy that when committing one of these murder-suicide things, it is now required that the officer must commit suicide first, and only THEN execute the rest of his family. For violation of this very clear department policy, this officer must have a written reprimand placed in his file, and the cop's corpse should be placed on desk duty for 10 days as a reminder to other officers that this policy must be STRICTLY OBSERVED. </sarcasm>
I'd write something more serious about this, but frankly it is beyond me at this moment: it is all just too *** stupid, tragic and insane!Â
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? - "Who will guard the guards themselves?"
 @JLS1950Â
Sometimes humor is all that we have. It is OK to feel horrible about something like this and be a little sarcastic.
Â
I wish I had magical words in situations like this, but sometimes things are just unimaginable.
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We just need to send the rest of the family members of the victims, prayers, positive thoughts, or whatever anyone believes/does not believe in. (Please no religious or anti-religious statements.)
The moral of the story, and the many others like it that were all so sick & tired of hearing about is - if you're so damn miserable, for whatever reason - ***TAKE YOURSELF OUT***, in private, and preferably well out of the way of anybody else who could possibly witness it.Â
Oh, but leave a nice, concise note for posterity's sake.
I often wonder about the rationale in these cases. "I need to kill my family so that they don't suffer from my suicide or me not being able to provide for them"? Very sad, indeed. RIP.
 @Komo Dragon I agree. The first thing that comes to my mind is why kill your family too? I really don't understand.
Sad. RIP
It's a very sad event when someone loses hope and especially sad when they take others with them. R.I.P. for all involved.
So sad, may they rest in peace.Â
I'll never understand why suicidal people feel the need to take out family members with them. Â I guess that, in a delusional mindset, they think that they are saving them from the horrors of the world somehow.