Two young children have been left orphaned after their father shot their mother dead before turning the gun on himself in a horrific murder-suicide in Tucson, Arizona.
Details of the Incident
Mikaela Durfey, 36, was killed by her ex-husband Brian Schnurr in front of her Tucson, Arizona home on Monday evening, according to Marana Police. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but the licensed professional counselor was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say Schnurr fled the scene in a blue Dodge Challenger with both of his children, who are under the age of four, in tow. The 37-year-old chiropractor abandoned the vehicle about a mile away from Durfey's home, leaving the children unattended inside. After locating the Challenger, officers found Schnurr's body lying in a nearby desert area with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Both children were unharmed in the incident.
Investigation Ongoing
Marana Police are investigating the deadly shooting as a murder-suicide. Their investigation remains ongoing and no further details were immediately available. Durfey's two young children, both under the age of four, have been left orphaned after their father shot their mother dead on Monday evening.
Community Response
Officers were called to Durfey's home shortly after 5pm on Monday for reports of a shooting. A neighbor told KVOA that an older woman had rushed to the crime scene just moments after the mother-of-two was shot. 'All of a sudden she had a hat or a cap on and threw it off and then we could hear her say, "They killed her, they killed her or he killed her he killed her,"' he told the outlet. Other witnesses recalled how multiple community members rushed to her side and tried to resuscitate her after hearing shots ring out.
Background of the Couple
Durfey and Schnurr were wed on April 18, 2021. Details about their divorce were not immediately available, but public records show that Schnurr moved out of Durfey's home last year. The counselor appears to have been a dedicated mother and pillar in her community. She regularly fostered cats from the county animal shelter and helped nurse them back to health so they could be adopted, her Facebook page revealed. She also apparently worked with a local K9 rescue to help find forever homes for shelter dogs.
Schnurr's Professional History
Schnurr graduated with his Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 2015 and obtained his chiropractic license that same year. He was working at Dove Mountain Chiropractic and Massage, but his license lapsed in December 2023. It is unclear if or where he has been working since. The chiropractor also previously held a pilot's license.
