LAKEWOOD, Calif. — Authorities say a deadly shooting inside a Lakewood home that left three people dead last week was a murder-suicide, carried out by a husband and father who killed his wife and teenage daughter before turning the gun on himself. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the details Friday, January 16, as investigators continued reviewing the tragic case.

Deputies were dispatched around 8 a.m. on Thursday, January 15, to a home in the 5800 block of Lorelei Avenue following a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. When deputies arrived, they encountered a 19-year-old woman who had exited the single-story home unharmed. She told deputies that her father had fired shots at her inside the house.

As deputies entered the residence, they found Hector Lionel Alfaro, 52, lying on the floor of the den with a gunshot wound to his upper torso. Investigators later determined that Alfaro died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Deputies continued clearing the home and made two more devastating discoveries.

In one bedroom, deputies found Alfaro’s 48-year-old wife suffering from gunshot wounds to her torso. In a second bedroom, they located the couple’s 17-year-old daughter, who had also been shot in the upper torso. Despite emergency response efforts, Alfaro, his wife, and his youngest daughter were all pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Investigators learned that the 19-year-old daughter, Alfaro’s eldest child, had been asleep inside the home when she was awakened by gunshots. According to the sheriff’s department, Alfaro later appeared near her while armed with a handgun and fired several shots in her direction, but she was not hit. Moments later, investigators say Alfaro fatally shot himself while standing near his eldest daughter.

Deputies recovered two firearms from inside the home as part of the investigation. Authorities have not released information about what may have led up to the shooting or whether there were previous domestic issues at the residence. The sheriff’s department said the case remains under review, but evidence clearly indicates a murder-suicide.

The incident has left the Lakewood community shaken and highlights the devastating consequences of domestic violence involving firearms. Authorities are reminding residents that help is available for those experiencing family conflict or emotional distress, urging individuals to seek assistance before situations escalate into tragedy.