Police Suspect Man Who Reported Davis Deaths May Have Been Shooter
DAVIS (CBS13) - Two people are dead after a SWAT situation in Davis ended in tragedy. Police are piecing together what happened, but as of now it would seem to be a murder-suicide.
It all started with a call to Davis police last night from someone reporting that two people were dead inside a home in north Davis. But that call may have been premature.
From all we can tell, the person who called police is suspected to be the trigger man. He is among the two dead. Police are saying little about what they think happened as they continue to investigate.
UC Davis Statement On Student Death
University of California, Davis, has confirmed that Whitney Joypauline Engler was a student in her fourth year of study at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Engler died after an off-campus shooting incident in Davis reported Friday.
We are shocked and saddened by this tragedy, and we offer condolences to friends and family at this time.
UC Davis has no further statements at this time.
"Definitely a shock," said Kevin Kayhanian, a Davis resident who lives nearby.
It's not a typical scene for Davis residents to witness.
"It's very early in the investigation," said Lt. Tom Waltz, a Davis Police Department spokesman.
Police say they responded to the 2200 block of Glacier Drive home after receiving a call reporting two people were dead inside.
Investigators say the call came from someone in the house. Sources say that caller may have been the shooter who would take his roommate's life, and then his own.
Fearing an ambush, officers remained outside the house until around 2 a.m. When they finally went in, they found the bodies of a man and woman upstairs. Both had suffered gunshot wounds.
"We're not looking for a suspect at this point, but that may change depending on what we find inside," said Waltz.
"It's heartbreaking to hear about stuff like this, especially so close to home," said Kayhanian.
Kevin Kayhanian lives in the neighborhood and has heard the same thing sources told CBS13: The female victim is a fourth-year veterinary student at UC Davis. We saw crews removing numerous animals from the home, including exotic birds.
"I think there is going to be some very serious ramifications for the community and everybody is kind of down right now," said Kayhanian.
The coroner has identified the two victims as 27-year-old Whitney Joypauline Engler and 23-year-old Joseph Andrew Hein. It's unclear who shot whom.
It's still not known exactly what led up to the shooting.