TRAGIC!: New Year’s Day murder-suicide claims four, two children among victims

A Lexington, South Carolina, man, woman, and her two young children are believed to been killed in a grisly New Year’s murder-suicide.

The bodies of 25-year-old Jorge Luis Chavez, 26-year-old Marissa Hope Reynoso, and two of her children, 4-year-old Elijah Chavez and 1-year-old Ezra Chavez were found at 8 p.m. Sunday, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher who said all four probably died of gunshot wounds. Chavez is probably the father of the two slain children.

“Got a little bit concerned to start off with when we heard there was a shooting going on…or had went on,” neighbor William Davis told WIS. “Then, when we found out there were people actually dead, it made it a little more concerning. Later on during the night, it got real concerning when we heard there was an active search going on.

Authorities have yet to announce who was the shooter but they were originally seeking Chavez only to turn off the search early Monday following the discovery of his body. Fisher mentioned Reynoso’s older child wasn’t at the one-story ranch house when the murders occurred.

“All we can confirm is that there is a death investigation going on at a home off Old Barnwell Road. It does not appear to be natural,” Lexington County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Colby Gallagher said at the time. “We are searching for somebody in connection to this scene.”

Police have yet to disclose what event or events led up to the shootings. Autopsies will be done on Tuesday, the coroner said.