LUTZ, Fla. (WFLA) — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced that a 44-year-old man and his 5-year-old son were killed in a murder-suicide in Lutz.

According to Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer, the child’s mother went to her husband’s home on Cranbrook Drive at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning to pick up the child, but no one answered the door.

When they could not reach the father, deputies responded to the mother’s call. Deputies did not initially realize there was a problem when they arrived.

“They knocked on the door, made the announcement, did not notice any nefarious activity and did not see any signs of foul play,” Maurer said.

However, when the mother went home at around 9.30 in the morning, she found the bodies of both her son and her husband, both shot dead.

Maurer said that the boy’s father shot his son and then killed himself with the same gun.

“This is an incredibly heartbreaking loss for this family and our prayers are with them during this unimaginable time,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Tragedies like this have a profound impact on everyone involved, including our deputies who responded to such a devastating scene just after Thanksgiving. We are committed to providing support to both the grieving family and our deputies as they navigate this difficult situation.”

According to the chief deputy’s statement, the father had no known criminal history. He had been separated from his wife about a year before the murder.

“It’s very shocking,” said neighbor Pamela Oliva. “It wasn’t anything I expected at all. He’s someone from the neighborhood. And especially him. I never saw him as the type to have any problems or anything. If he did, he hid it very well.”

The investigation is currently ongoing.

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