TAMPA, Fla. — Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office are investigating a murder-suicide at an apartment complex in Tampa.
"It saddens me that we stand here in front of the cameras again, to report about another senseless loss of lives, due to violence that occurred in a family home," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a press conference Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office received a call from a woman, who stated that she came home to find her son dead, of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She also found her husband, who was her son's stepfather, dead from upper body trauma.
When detectives arrived at the 42nd Street Apartments, they located Juan Luis Hernandez, 30, and Michael Edward Kurz, 59, deceased inside the residence. Detectives believe that Hernandez killed his stepfather before turning the gun on himself. Hernandez and Kurz both lived at the address the incident occurred.
Investigators say there has been no prior calls for service at this address involving the individuals in this case. The family had recently moved to the area from St. Petersburg.
This is the 9th murder-suicide in Hillsborough County this year, according to Sheriff Chronister.
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When asked about the increase in gun violence in Hillsborough County, the sheriff stated that he believes the world has become a more violent society and believes that mainstream media is a large contributor.
"I think that the entertainment industry has desensitized people to violence — video games... there's a lot of different reasons that people are desensitized to such violence," Sheriff Chronister said. "I think we're gonna have to focus more on education and prevention."
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the domestic violence hotline at 1-800-500-1119 to speak with someone who can help.
