Long Beach police are currently investigating a murder-suicide that occurred in late December.
According to a press release, Long Beach police officers responded to a residence on the 3400 block of Adriatic Avenue on the afternoon of Thursday, December 28. A resident of the home had come to the West Patrol Substation to report domestic violence, police said.
At the residence, officers reportedly saw smoke and fire coming from inside and heard an “unknown noise” that they suspected may have been gunfire. Officers also learned that there may be a young child inside the home. The Long Beach Fire Department also responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.
When officers entered the home, they reportedly found a 5-year-old child who had sustained a gunshot wound. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Officers also believed that the suspect may have still been inside the residence and called the department’s SWAT team to the scene. SWAT negotiators attempted to contact the suspect by telephone, ultimately with no success. In the mean time, officers obtained a search warrant for the residence.
When SWAT officers made entry and searched the residence, they found the suspect — 39-year-old Chase Phillip Powell — deceased. Officers also recovered two firearms.
Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin a thorough investigation. At this time, police believe Powell murdered the young girl, who was reportedly his daughter, and then killed himself.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
