Residents and staff at a Mesa, Arizona senior living facility awoke to tragedy after a
long-married couple were found shot inside their bedroom early Thursday morning.
According to the Mesa Police Department, officers responded around
4:30 a.m. to reports of gunfire at a group home near Alma School and Guadalupe roads.
Staff members told dispatchers that two residents were not breathing.
Inside the room, police discovered Jerome Woolums (92) and Katharine Woolums (93), both suffering gunshot wounds to the head.
Investigators say Jerome was still holding a handgun when they arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Katharine was found with a faint pulse and was rushed to the hospital while firefighters tried desperately to save her life.
Doctors confirmed she passed away shortly after arrival.
Detectives believe Jerome shot his wife before turning the gun on himself.
The couple had reportedly been married for decades and were living at the facility to receive medical care and daily assistance.
Authorities have not yet determined what led to the shooting, describing it as a deeply tragic case involving love, illness, and despair in life’s final chapter.