Saturday, October 1, 2011

Jurupa Valley, CA: Victims of murder-suicide at high school identified

JURUPA VALLEY — A man and woman killed in an apparent murder-suicide in the parking lot of a Jurupa Valley high school were identified Thursday.

Donaciano Aguirre, 54, of Riverside allegedly shot his wife, 61-year-old Maria Celia Aguirre, and then turned the gun on himself around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday in front of Patriot High School, according to the Riverside County Coroner's Office.

Donaciano Aguirre was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife was rushed to Riverside Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11:28 a.m., coroner's officials said.

The circumstances behind the shootings were not immediately known.

A sheriff's deputy working a security detail at the high school heard gunshots from the parking lot and directed administrators to lock down the campus while he investigated, according to the sheriff's department.

When the deputy reached the parking lot, he discovered the woman and man, a handgun lying next to the latter.

No students were involved.

Maria Aguirre was a volunteer teacher's aide at the school, according to published reports.

The campus remained on lockdown, with students restricted to classrooms, while deputies searched the grounds to confirm there were no other threats.

The campus was declared secure at 11:50 a.m., and school officials were cleared to resume normal operations.

However, administrators continued to hold students, releasing them at intervals between 1 and 3 p.m.

No comments: