Deaths in Stockton may be murder-suicide

STOCKTON — The Tooele County Sheriff's Office was investigating an apparent murder-suicide Sunday night in Stockton.

According to Sheriff Frank Park, a 37-year-old woman shot her 58-year-old boyfriend and then shot herself, taking her own life.

The incident occurred about 8 p.m. outside the couple's home at 93 N. Sherman St. and was still under investigation late Sunday.

Park said the couple, who were not married but had been living together for three years, reportedly had been arguing.

The woman's 16-year-old son and the man's 14-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter were watching a movie in a nearby mobile home when the shooting occurred. The children discovered the bodies, Park said.

The sheriff said investigators believe a total of three shots were fired.

Park said the woman used a handgun, but he did not know who owned the gun, where it had been stored or what exactly motivated the shooting.

"They had been arguing on and off through the day," he said. "It seemed to be a spontaneous deal. You can't explain it."

The children would be staying with grandparents overnight, Park said.

The man had spent part of the day repairing a semitrailer truck he drives for a living, Park noted. It was not known whether that activity had anything to do with the couple's argument.

The names of the victims were not released Sunday pending notification of family members.