SAN ANTONIO, TX. (THECOUNT) — Rene May, 36, and Martha Gonzalez May, 43, have been identified as the two people killed in a suspected murder-suicide at a home on San Antonio’s far West Side in Bexar County, authorities said.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the 14000 block of Confluence Creek at approximately 7:30 p.m. Sunday, September 13, after a witness returned to the residence and found both victims dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
Advertisement
Sheriff Javier Salazar said investigators were examining the deaths as a possible domestic violence-related murder-suicide. The couple had been living together at the newly built home for approximately 10 days and were believed to be married or in a domestic partnership.
According to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, Rene May died from shotgun wounds. His death was ruled a suicide.
Martha May died from multiple gunshot wounds, the medical examiner’s office said. Her death was ruled a homicide.
A non-relative who also lived at the residence told investigators that the couple had been arguing earlier Sunday morning. The witness reportedly left the home before 6 a.m. and returned later that evening, discovering both victims deceased.
Authorities have not released additional details about what led to the argument or the events that preceded the shootings. Investigators also have not publicly disclosed who fired the shots that killed Martha May.
The case is being investigated by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. The medical examiner’s findings classified Rene May’s death as a suicide and Martha May’s death as a homicide, supporting the suspected murder-suicide investigation.
Salazar said eight of the county’s 18 homicides this year had been classified as domestic violence-related. Sunday’s deaths would represent the fourth murder-suicide of the year if that classification is confirmed.
Salazar urged anyone experiencing domestic violence to seek help before a situation escalates.
“Domestic violence is something that doesn’t go away,” Salazar said. “It doesn’t stop happening all of a sudden.”
Anyone who is a victim of domestic violence or knows someone who may be in danger can contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at 210-335-6000.
San Antonio is located in Bexar County in south-central Texas, approximately 75 miles southwest of Austin. The far West Side is part of the rapidly growing San Antonio metropolitan area.
DEVELOPING::