French Valley Man Kills Himself After Shooting Wife, Child Held During Standoff
A domestic violence incident in French Valley turned deadly early Monday morning after a man allegedly shot his wife, held her and their child hostage, and later took his own life during an armed standoff with Riverside County sheriff’s deputies.
The incident unfolded around 2:46 a.m. on July 21 at a home on the 35500 block of Shadow Drive, near Skyview Road, in the French Valley community. Deputies from the Southwest Sheriff’s Station were dispatched following a report that an armed man was physically assaulting a woman inside the residence and refusing to let her leave with her child.
According to Sgt. Wenndy Brito Gonzalez of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, when deputies arrived on scene, they began issuing commands for the occupants to exit the home. However, they came under fire from a second-story window, prompting a deputy-involved shooting.
Moments later, a woman with visible injuries emerged from the home holding a young child. She told deputies her husband had shot her before turning the weapon on himself. The child was unharmed.
The woman was transported to a nearby trauma center and is reported to be in critical but stable condition. The child was also taken to the hospital for evaluation, though no injuries were reported.
SWAT officers later entered the residence and confirmed the male suspect was deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. His identity has not been released pending next-of-kin notification.
Authorities have not disclosed what may have triggered the violence, nor whether the suspect had a history of domestic issues.
No deputies were injured during the exchange of gunfire. In accordance with departmental policy, all deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is under investigation.
The case is now being handled by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office in coordination with the sheriff’s Force Investigations Detail.
Anyone with additional information is urged to contact investigators at 951-955-2777.
