Despite their efforts, four family members, including a 12-year old girl, were killed.
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Prior to the suicide, however, the gunman evidently set the house on fire and began shooting at police officers and fire fighters who tried to get in to see if they could help the victims.
The situation unfolded early Tuesday morning when Phoenix police and fire responded to the report of a family of four being shot, KPNX reported.
The shooter, who was also a family member, shot and killed himself.
Investigators say the suspect, Alex, had drug problems and recently was released from a rehab facility. Some firefighters stood on the roof to extinguish flames gushing from the home. “They always showed they cared for them as family and for other people as well”.
The initial call came from the people inside the home who said they were being shot at, Sgt. Crump said. Family dog, Bob, was rescued from north #Phoenix home this morning after fire, 5-person shooting pic.twitter.com/0LlW7nv9BE – Megan Cassidy (@meganrcassidy) February 23, 2016 The shooting victims appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds, but an autopsy will confirm their exact cause of death.
Officers dodged bullets and donned breathing gear to enter the burning home to help the victims while the shooter was still alive. “I told her how lovely she was”, she said. Police in Arizona say that her brother 26-year-old Alex Buckner is the perpetrator.
The police have no record of ever having been called to the house. “She was bright”, Bustamante said.
“You have police officers who went into an active fire to pull out people to try to save their lives”, Stanton added ‘Their professionalism, their heroism under the worst possible conditions has blown me away today as mayor of this city.
Police said the parents were in an upstairs bedroom.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton (pictured, center) called it an “unspeakable violence” but praised police (right) and firefighters for their courage.
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“We know that we shot the suspect”.
