Santa Rosa police say shooting victims found at home "believed to be family members"
Police in Santa Rosa on Thursday provided additional information regarding the homicide investigation into a fatal shooting that left four people dead who were found Wednesday during a welfare check by officers.
The Santa Rosa Police Department issued the update late Thursday morning shortly before noon. Authorities said police received a call Wednesday afternoon just before 2 p.m. requesting a welfare check at a residence on the 200 block of Monarch Ct. in Santa Rosa where the Valley Vista mobile home community is located. The reporting party, who identified himself to police as the boyfriend of one of the residence's occupants, was worried after not hearing from his partner in a couple days.
Officers arrived at the residence and eventually forced their way into the home through a window. Once inside, the officers found four people in different areas of the house who all appeared to have suffered significant gunshot wounds. All four were pronounced deceased at the scene. Police said semi-automatic handgun was also located near one of the deceased.
While the identity of the victims have not been released, police confirmed that the deceased were a 33-year-old female, a 28-year-old male, a 67-year-old female, and a 67-year-old male and "are believed to be family members." Police said their names and exact relationships would not be released until their identities are confirmed with the Sonoma County Corners Office. The autopsies on all four decedents were scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
Authorities confirmed the incident is still being investigated as a multi-person homicide with detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department Violent Crime Team taking over the investigation. Police said in addition to processing the scene at the Monarch Ct. residence, a second search warrant was served at a San Jose residence on the 2800 block of Buena Crest Ct. after the South Bay home was linked to one of the decedents.
Neighbor Geri Tapparo, who moved to the senior mobile home community last July, was surprised to learn of the crime.
"It's just a shock," she said. "So quiet out here."
Tapparo said it's an extremely safe neighborhood, but it's not the first time she's seen police respond to her neighbor's house.
"They've been there a couple of times," Tapparo said. "Cause you can see right out of our kitchen window and not with lights going on or anything, but they just pulled up and went in to speak."
Police said the motive and circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation, but police still don't believe there is any threat to the public. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the SRPD Violent Crime Team at 707-543-3590, referencing SRPD case number 25-354.