Dad Posted Selfie With Kids One Hour Before Shooting Them in Murder-Suicide
CHILLING
A father who took to Facebook to post a selfie with his two young children fatally shot them less than an hour later before turning the gun on himself, Florida authorities have said. Humberto Christian Tovar Zapata, 41, uploaded the image of himself, his 12-year-old daughter, Baleria Tovar, and his 9-year-old son, Matias Tovar, at 8:36 p.m. Tuesday, according to Miami-Dade police. At 9:26 p.m., officers were called to respond to a Miami Lakes shooting reported outside an apartment complex. First responders to the scene found Zapata and the children already dead, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. The suspect’s estranged wife, also the mother of the children, reportedly made the discovery of the bodies, located near a canal bank close to the apartment. Earlier that day, police said, she had argued with Zapata over the whereabouts of their children. Both she and Zapata’s mother told a local outlet that he had suffered from untreated mental illness. It was unclear whether the selfie Zapata shared had been taken just before the incident, or if the suspect had used an older image.