By Jerald Jimenez
Jun 24, 2024, 10:40 AM EDT
A fire lieutenant in St. Johns County, Florida, killed his wife and then committed suicide, in an incident that shocked the community of St. Augustine, northeast Florida, reported local authorities, who related a disturbing post by the wife on Facebook with the tragic event.
The crime reportedly occurred at his residence, a quiet town in northeast Florida. The lieutenant, identified as Shawn Yarbrough, shot his wife, Andrea Yarbrough, before turning the gun on himself. The couple was found dead by authorities in a bathroom on the upper floor of their home after 9:00 pm on June 13.
The couple’s remains were found after officers were initially called to the home for a welfare check after Andrea’s mother was unable to locate her. The couple, who had been married for a year, leave behind a blended family of four children.
Andrea had expressed concern about her husband’s grueling work schedule in a Facebook post on May 31, almost a month before the grisly discovery, in which she also showed monthly activity logs from her husband’s apartment: “It’s That’s why all our loved ones are exhausted and never function 100% at home,” he wrote alongside the image and 3,203 calls for service.
“She loved those children and wanted the best for them,” Debbie Churchill told Fox News Digital. “Everything is very confusing and difficult right now. I can not explain it. I don’t even know how. It’s something no one can understand unless they’ve been through it.”
For his part, St. Johns County Fire Chief Sean McGee addressed the murder-suicide case in a Facebook post, and lamented the losses and circumstances surrounding them.
“The recently reported events were unexpected, shocking and tragic for everyone affected,” McGee said. “As a department, we are deeply saddened by the loss of life and recognize its lasting impact on the families and children of those affected.”
With information from Fox News