WELLINGTON, Fla. — A man shot a woman and then himself in an apparent murder-suicide inside a Wellington gated community, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera told WPTV on Saturday.
Deputies were called to a double shooting shortly after 5 p.m. Friday in the 2100 block of Balsan Way, inside the Olympia subdivision.
When deputies arrived, they found the man and woman dead from gunshot wounds.
A neighbor, who only identified himself as Jeff H., said he found this incident shocking, saying the neighborhood attracts affluent, young families.
"We don't really hear much about these types of instances here, so it has been quite surprising that this did occur in the Wellington area," he said.
Barbera said the domestic-related shooting involved an estranged couple with two children in common.
She said the man and woman were the only people inside the home at the time.
The man has been identified as Stephen Smith, 45. The woman's age and identity were being withheld at the request of the family.
In the latest domestic violence report from the Florida Department of Children and Families, from January to December 2020, reported domestic violence offenses increased by 1.16%. More than 106,000 domestic violence offenses were reported to law enforcement and 217 people died, representing about 20% of all homicides in Florida.
"Unfortunately, in today's times, there's many pressures on all types of families, upscale or lower/middle income families as well," Jeff H. said. "It's just really pressing times right now."
Neighbors said they are looking for ways to help the children.