Man kills wife, stepson, self

Thursday, July 09, 2009 | 7:36 AM

ROCKY MOUNT (WTVD) -- Wednesday police responded to a fatal shooting at a home behind the Merita Bread Bakery on Benvenue Road.

Around 4:30 p.m., police found 56-year-old Lynda Schowengerdt, 53-year-old William Wesley "Wes" Schowengerdt and 21-year-old Alexander "Alex" Walker with gunshot wounds.

Police said Schowengerdt and his stepson, Walker, were involved in a verbal altercation when Schowengerdt grabbed a handgun from inside his home and shot Walker.

Walker ran out of the home and collapsed in the front yard. Schowengerdt then shot his wife and later himself on the front porch of the home.

Walker was transported to Nash General Hospital and was pronounced dead. The Schowengerdts were pronounced dead at the scene.

Walker's cousin, Wade Cherry, said Walker and his stepfather had problems in the past, but he never thought it would lead to this.

"I couldn't really think anything really, it shocked me," Cherry said. "I didn't know his stepdad was that kind of guy."

Jaunita Catlett, Walker's 1-year-old daughter's grandmother, said she was sad to hear about the shooting.

"I'm just nervous that my grandchild could've been here at the time," Catlett said. "I'm just thankful she wasn't hurt. I'm sorry that this had to happen, that it did happen. "

She said the Schowengerdts had been having problems.

"The last time I saw the mother, Lynda, she had indicated that she was leaving her husband and going to Florida, and I haven't heard anything since," Catlett said. "That was like March."

Police said an investigation is ongoing at this time.