According to several sources, a 14-year-old girl was murdered by her father.
The Post-Standard reports that Christopher Wood, 51, shot his daughter Ava Wood and then himself in their Baldwinsville, N.Y. home on Jan. 20.
According to the publication, the victim’s mother called 911 to report her daughter’s absence from school, prompting police to visit the residence around 8:30 a.m. The mom told dispatchers that the girl was at home with her despondent father, who had told her, “This is how it ends for us,” the night before.
Police entered the house with the mom’s keys and found the pair’s bodies with gunshot wounds in separate bedrooms, CNY Central reports. Police told the newspaper the father’s injuries appeared self-inflicted.
The outlet reported that Christopher Wood was still married to the girl’s mother, but they were separated. Reports say the teen lived with her dad.
Teenathlete Was “Incredible”
Heather Wood, the teen’s mother, spoke for her family.
“We want to begin by expressing our gratitude for the outpouring of love that we’ve received in the last 24 hours—it is the love and support from our community that will sustain us in the coming days,” according to LocalSYR.
“Ava’s friends, classmates, and teammates: please share images and tributes. We appreciate your love for her and our family.”
Ava was a top student and track and field athlete at Durgee Junior High School.
“It is with tremendous regret and a very heavy heart that I inform you of the unfortunate demise of Durgee Jr. High School 9th grade student Ava Wood,” the Baldwinsville school system told parents in an email acquired by The Post-Standard.
“This tragedy has devastated our close-knit school community. We’re thinking of Ava’s loved ones.”
Her Syracuse Development Academy soccer coach called her “amazing.”
At a Sunday night vigil, Corey Fonseca told Spectrum News 1 that remembering the positives is most essential.
“[She was] someone you showed up and truly loved coaching because she was simply a nice kid.”
The Wood family has also started a GoFundMe campaign for funeral costs.