After police were involved in a standoff for hours with a 31-year-old man, he and a 29-year-old woman have been pronounced dead in what appears to have been a murder-suicide.
According to the York County Coroner’s Office, Megan Saunders and Devon Elias both succumbed to gunshot wounds in their Dover Township home in Pennsylvania last Wednesday afternoon. The pair shared a child.
Police officials say Elias went to Saunders’ home on the 4100 block of Strawbridge Court in the Salem Run development and gunned her down.
When police arrived at the scene, he refused to surrender to police for hours, then shot himself shortly before 3 PM.
Investigators are now trying to understand what led to the murder-suicide.
During the standoff, Northern York County Regional police and a special tactical team created a perimeter around the house as they tried talking to Elias on the phone. But he would eventually commit suicide.
Following the murder-suicide, police ordered a shelter-in-place for the entire neighborhood. Residents who were not home at the time of the shooting were asked not to return to their homes until further notice.
Meanwhile, the Dover Area School District issued a “Keep Out” condition.
Since the shooting took place, the district released the following statement:
“Under the advice of law enforcement, Dover Area School District is currently in a Keep Out condition due to an event in the community. This is being done under the direction of law enforcement to keep our students and staff safe. We do not have any additional information. Stay away from the school and do not call the school. Under no circumstance is anyone permitted to enter or exit the building at this time unless directed by law enforcement. You will be informed when the all-clear is given or if we have any additional information to share. Again, this is occurring in the community and not at the school.”
