Mesa, Arizona Murder-Suicide: 92-Year-Old Jerome Woolums Shoots and Kills 93-Year-Old Wife Katharine Woolums Before Turning Gun on Himself Inside Senior Group Home

Tragedy struck a Mesa, Arizona senior living facility early Thursday morning when 92-year-old Jerome Woolums shot and killed his 93-year-old wife, Katharine Woolums, before taking his own life in what police are calling a murder-suicide.

According to the Mesa Police Department, officers were called to a senior group home near Alma School Road and Guadalupe Road around 4:30 a.m., after staff members discovered the couple unresponsive in their shared bedroom.

Upon arrival, police found both Jerome and Katharine with gunshot wounds to the head — with the husband still clutching the firearm. Katharine was still breathing when officers arrived and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

“We are looking at this as a murder-suicide,” a police spokesperson told The Arizona Republic. “At this stage of the investigation, evidence indicates Jerome shot his wife, Katharine, before taking his own life.”

The couple, who had been married for many years, were residents of the unidentified senior group home where they both received ongoing medical care. Staff at the facility told reporters that nothing unusual had been noticed in the hours leading up to the shooting.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances leading to the tragedy, including whether the couple had been struggling with health or emotional issues, and how a firearm came to be inside the senior living center, where weapons are typically prohibited.

To date, the facility has declined to comment publicly on the incident or on their safety protocols.

The motive behind the heartbreaking shooting remains under investigation by Mesa authorities.