Man Shoots Wife at Hemet Courthouse, Then Kills Himself

HEMET – A man shot his wife at a courthouse, and after police attempted to pull him over, he then shot himself. Hemet police are calling it a murder-suicide. The incident took place just after 8 a.m. today.

Riverside County Courthouse in Hemet

Witnesses saw the unidentified couple arguing shortly after leaving a family courthouse on the 800 block of North State Street. After the man opened fire on the woman, who was identified as his wife and who died at the scene, “the guy ran to his car, got in and took off,” said Lt. Duane Wisehart. Those who saw the shooting told police what kind of car he was driving, he said. “We followed the suspect,” said Wisehart, “and we were waiting for some more officers to join the (police) vehicle. (The suspect) pulled over on his own and, apparently, shot himself.”

Investigators were still collecting evidence some three hours after the shooting, which required roping off the courthouse parking lot, thus stranding others who were then unable to leave. According to witnesses, the suspect and victim were involved in a custodial hearing on spousal and child support.

Once the officers spotted the suspect, they trailed him to Myers St. and Devonshire Ave., just a few miles from the away. The courthouse, which is a branch of the Riverside County court system, also handles civil, small claims and traffic cases.

Police set up a field command post near the suspect’s car, a black Mercedes Benz, on the two-lane street near an area market on Florida Ave., which is the city’s main thoroughfare.
Hemet is located near the San Jacinto mountains, a 45-minute eastbound drive from Riverside.

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