Man, Woman Found Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide In San Rafael

SAN RAFAEL, CA – A man and a woman were found dead inside a home in the Terra Linda neighborhood of San Rafael Tuesday morning, authorities said.

A police dispatcher received a call at 8:21 a.m. from a man who said he shot his wife and was going to shoot himself, San Rafael police Sgt. Lisa Holton said. Police responded and briefly detained a man, who was being interviewed as a possible witness, outside of a residence in the 700 block of Penny Royal Lane.

A crisis negotiation team tried to establish communication with anyone inside the residence before a regional SWAT team comprised of Novato and San Rafael police and the Marin County Sheriff's Office arrived, Holton said.

When the SWAT team did not make contact with the residents, a robot was sent inside. Police then found the man and woman dead and a firearm inside the residence, Holton said.

The incident prompted a shelter-in-place order for residents in the area bordered by Del Ganado Road, Las Raposas Road, Penny Royal Lane and Pine Lane. The order was lifted around 10:30 a.m.

Police have not released the names of the deceased. The apparent murder-suicide remained under investigation.

The homicide is San Rafael's first since 2011, Holton said.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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