SUN CITY, AZ – Robert McGrath, a 60-year-old man, is currently in custody on suspicion of killing his estranged wife and mother-in-law in a shooting event at an apartment complex in Sun City, authorities have reported.
According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, they received reports of an armed man at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday. The call originated from the area of 111th Avenue and Newcastle Drive in response to a loud noise coming from an upstairs apartment.
The caller reported that after hearing the noise, they had gone to the second floor, where they encountered a man holding a handgun in an apartment doorway. The man reportedly threatened them at gunpoint and ordered them to the ground. Once the man reentered the apartment, the terrified neighbors retreated and placed a call to 911.
Upon their arrival, the deputies found two women with gunshot wounds, 53-year-old Marcia McGrath and 77-year-old Thea Merlino. McGrath was rushed to the hospital but later succumbed to her injuries, whereas Merlino was declared dead at the scene. Before her death, McGrath identified the shooter as her husband, who was later arrested at his El Mirage home.
Robert McGrath is currently being held in Maricopa County jail with a bail set at $2 million.