BROKEN ARROW, Okla. -- Police identified a man and woman killed in an apparent murder-suicide in their Broken Arrow home. Officers identified 64-year-old Gerald Richey Cates and 71-year-old Leslie Ann Cates.
Police are trying to find answers to an apparent murder-suicide of an elderly couple in their Broken Arrow home.
Police got the call around 6:30 on January 25th saying a man may have shot his wife inside the house on West Fort Worth Street.
A neighbor told officers they may have heard a gun shot before they arrived on scene.
The special operations and crisis negotiation teams were called to the scene. They tried for hours to make contact with the people inside the home.
"We did the normal just a cell phone and we tried that for about an hour and a half, to two hours,” said Capt. Thomas Cooper, crisis negotiations leader for the Broken Arrow police.
Captain Cooper used additional tactics to try and make contact with the couple.
“Breaking a window, trying to see if there’s any reaction and then we threw the throw phone in," said Capt. Cooper.
There was still no movement or communication with the two residents.
Broken Arrow police say the incident started as domestic violence, and after a few hours around 9:30 a.m. officers went inside.
“Officers revealed a deceased female and deceased male inside the residence,” said Officer James Koch with Broken Arrow police.
It's never a response these men and women want to hear.
"Whether it ends in a suicide or something like that, you always second guess yourself but obviously our training goes forth into, our goal is the safety of everyone involved," said Capt. Cooper.
Anderson Elementary went on a brief lockdown during the standoff.
As for what's next investigators will now comb through the house.
“Looking for evidence of what may have led to this," said Officer Koch.
Police found the man and woman dead inside the bedroom with a small pistol near the bodies.
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