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2 dead in Lancaster murder-suicide [updated]

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Homicide detectives investigate in front of a home in the 3200 block of West Avenue J-10 in Lancaster, where a woman and her estranged husband were found suffering from gunshot wounds. The woman had been staying at the home with her best friend's family, according to witnesses at the scene. [Photo by LUIS MEZA]
Homicide detectives investigate in front of a home in the 3200 block of West Avenue J-10 in Lancaster, where a woman and her estranged husband were found suffering from gunshot wounds. The woman had been staying at the home with her best friend’s family, according to witnesses at the scene. [Photo by LUIS MEZA]
LANCASTER – Homicide detectives are investigating an apparent murder-suicide in Lancaster that left a 48-year-old woman and her estranged husband dead Thursday morning, authorities said.

Deputies responded around 6:50 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, to the 3200 block of West Avenue J-10 in Lancaster, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

“Lancaster Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to the location for an ‘assault now’ call. Upon their arrival, they found a female Hispanic adult and a male Hispanic adult both lying in the driveway of the residence with apparent gunshot wounds,” detectives said in the news release.

“A witness at the scene told detectives the male Hispanic approached the female in the driveway and they began arguing. During the argument, the male Hispanic pointed a gun at the female victim and shot in her direction several times, striking her. He then turned the gun on himself and fired, striking himself,” detectives said in the news release.

The weapon was recovered at the scene, officials said.

The 48-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene; and the 58-year-old man, the estranged husband of the victim, was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced dead, homicide detectives said in the news release.

Both were Lancaster residents, detectives said.

Distraught family members at the scene identified the victim as Silvia Salazar. [Contributed photo courtesy Dolinda Reyes.]
Distraught family members at the scene identified the victim as Silvia Salazar. [Contributed photo courtesy Dolinda Reyes.]
Their names have not yet been released, coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter said Thursday afternoon.

However, distraught family members at the scene identified the victim as Silvia Salazar.

A woman at the scene said Silvia was her best friend, and said Silvia and Luis Salazar had been married for more than 20 years but had separated.

“She asked me for a place to live,” Dolinda Reyes said, adding that Silvia had been staying with her since May. She said Silvia worked as a nurse in Mojave and was a “wonderful person.”

“I know she is in heaven now because she was a good Christian lady. She believed in God,” Reyes said.

The victim’s estranged husband was a local business owner, Reyes said, adding that Silvia had filed for divorce.

Family members said the couple’s divorce was finalized Wednesday.

UPDATE: An online fundraiser has been established to ensure a proper burial for Silvia Salazar. To donate to this effort, visit https://www.gofundme.com/5t4hjmpd.

35 comments for "2 dead in Lancaster murder-suicide [updated]"

  1. Muy triste , los conoci hace algun tiempo y me parecieron una pareja estable . Lastimosamente algunas veces personas se acercan solo para sembrar dudas , cizana , y terminar con la estabilidad de la pareja . Lo siento .

    • So sad , My heart and my prayers go out to all family and friends. To their children , please continue to stay focused on your lives and studies so you will the people I know they both wanted you to be. God is with You.

  3. luis was a very very good smog guy going to miss him so rest in peace silvia and luis. may god be with the family and prayers from also

    • why would you mention “his” name along with hers? What kind of horrible person kills his children’s mother? He had no right to take her life!

      • You don’t know what they where going through you don’t know what he was facing how he was feeling what caused him to do this…. No matter what that was her husband and he was her wife. They were probley probley battling for something or for a while sometimes our minds and our hearts are so broken that we do the imaginable just for love. Maybe he wasted no one else to have her…it’s sad we just need to pray for there family

        • He killed her the day after their divorce was final! He had no right to decide she didn’t deserve to live. He could have just killed himself and spent eternity in Hell.

          • He surly will suffer in hell, what a weak piece of [removed] he was. Be a man and move on… Im talking to all you over protective domestic violence [removed] that give us good men a bad name!!! Si no nintendo mi Ingles pues educace mi RAZA!!!

  5. Our deepest sympathy to family and friends. I knew Silvia as a caring, loving person. She was my daughter’s nurse at home and school for 5 years. She was part of our family and will be truely missed. RIP SILVIA

  6. I’m so very sorry for your loss i really loved Ms.Silvia she was the best nurse we ever had at Tropico Middle School i will dearly miss her. R.I.P Ms. Silvia

  8. I am so sorry for the family’s loss… She seemed to have been a beautiful person inside and out.. Such a senseless crime.. This didn’t have to happen.. I don’t understand why that man had to be so selfish, to kill the mother of his children. Now his children are without their parents at such a young age… And a family without their loved one. I wish he would have thought about his children before taking her life and how their lives will be forever hurting… I am praying for the victim and her family, I am praying for the lord to be with them all during this time of pain… But most of all I am praying for her children, I pray that God will surround them, that he will protect them from this pain… I am so sorry for everyone that witnessed and were involved in this…

    • she was my school nurse. i really loved her.she also worked at tropico middle school which is my school.she was like my best friend except she was the nurse.when i went to her office i saw lilies and roses and orcheds. i really missed her. REST IN PARIDISE MISS SILVIA

    • Very nicely said, I feel so bad for her family and friends. “He” had no right to take her away from her children. I too feel awful that so many young people actually witnessed this horrible tragedy and many of us heard those loud gun shots.

  9. It’s sad that ppl just can’t go there separate ways with no hard feelings. My condolences for the haik family

  10. Thank you very much to all for your words of sympathy and prayers to the family. God is in control of this difficult moment that changed the life of the family forever, and more for children.

  11. So sorry for your loss….It’s so sad!! :( It sucks that someone had to witness this as well!! :( What in the world :(

  12. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of Silvia Salazar, she is with our Lord God now in a place of beauty beyond comprehension. The care she gave to those she encountered, in work and in life, is not forgotten. She is among the ranks of Angels. I pray that the perpetrator of this senseless act is receptive in being correctable in his error, in seeing, through the eye of God, the harmful resonance he left behind in this world and unto others. Hopefully, he will make amends and do it right in his next incarnation.

    • That’s so awful I’m thinking of divorce. Hope it goes better. I’m so sad for her family. And that she left this earth too soon..

  14. To the family ; I’m so sorry for your Great Loss.
    My deepest condolences and Sympathy, from my family to yours. I will have you in my prayers.

  15. May the Lord be with all my family, and give peace to all who are affected by this tragedy. My very beloved cousin will be missed greatly. Thanks for all the prayers and condolences.

  16. This is so hard to believe. My heart is shattered. I never in my life thought this would happen i knew them and her kids, we grew up in church together. God may she rest in peace and as for him i have no nice words but that God may deal with him on the day of judgement. Prayers go out to her three boys. God help them to he strong, they do not deserve such pain as this.

  18. So sad just went threw something like this and the whole time felt hopless called the cops over 15x crying begging them to help and they did nothing at all till he tried to brake down my door with a knife in his hand and still made me feel like it was all me, my prayers go out to her family ..it’s so sad that no one could help her my heart is shattered for the family

    • You take a tragedy such as this to focus on yourself and the partner you chose! Remember, you are one in a city of thousands. It would be nice to have police officers standing on every corner, but that’ll never happen. Also, it would not prevent you from picking the wrong guy. IJS…. RIP Ms Salazar

  21. I’m so sorry for your loss. God bless your family and loved ones. I pray the Lord will be with you and your family.