Three people were found dead after an apparent murder-suicide in Southern Indiana May 13, Harrison County Sheriff Nick Smith confirmed in a May 14 Facebook post.
Harrison County deputies reportedly responded to a welfare check on a male resident in Elizabeth, Indiana, at around 7:26 p.m. When officers arrived, they found one man dead on the porch and two people dead inside the residence.
The man on the porch was later identified as Brett Dixon, 36, and the two bodies inside were identified as Melissa Cochran Dixon, 59, and Paul Dixon, 61. All had gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on the scene.
According to the post, the welfare check request was made by Ray Dixon, of Mississippi, after he said his brother, Paul Dixon, called him expressing thoughts of suicide earlier in the day. A preliminary investigation found Paul Dixon had died from a “single self-inflicted gunshot wound” to the head.
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“The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department would like to assure the public that evidence collected at the scene indicates the individual responsible for the shootings is the same individual who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the release stated.
The department confirmed there is no threat to the community at this time and the investigation is ongoing.
“This incident is a tragic loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family, extended family and friends of those involved,” the release stated.
Harrison County officials thanked the Elizabeth Fire Department and the Clarksville Police Department’s Task Force Officer with helping to identify the victims.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Indiana officials find 3 people dead from gunshot wounds
