Man shot and killed in domestic incident at Sacramento-area apartment identified
SACRAMENTO - The man who deputies said entered an apartment and attempted to get his estranged wife to leave with him before he was shot and killed has been identified.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said 35-year-old Christopher Saunders showed up at the Garden Village Apartments on the 6600 block of Sunnyslope Drive early Friday morning and banged on the front door multiple times.
Inside the apartment were Saunders' estranged wife, a man, a woman and minors.
Saunders rushed into the apartment when they opened the door and grabbed his estranged wife, deputies said. He then commanded her to leave but when she refused, the adults inside directed him to leave.
Deputies said Saunders got into a fight with several family members, including a 15-year-old.
A man, who has not been identified, pulled out a gun that he legally possessed and shot Saunders, deputies said.
With his car still running in the parking lot, deputies said Saunders tried to walk outside, but he collapsed.
That's where authorities said they found him when they arrived around 12:30 a.m. He died at the scene, deputies said.
"The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office was advised and made the preliminary decision to release the adult male under the presumption of a justifiable homicide," deputies said. "The District Attorney's Office will make a final determination at a later date."
An attorney spoke with CBS13, saying the district attorney's office will likely look through evidence, question witnesses and even analyze ballistics to determine if use of force was necessary.