Authorities said a married couple and their young son were discovered in a bedroom as investigators examined an apparent domestic violence case.
MAYWOOD, CA — A married couple and their young son were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds inside a burning Los Angeles County home early Saturday, and investigators said preliminary evidence pointed to an apparent domestic violence incident.
Los Angeles County firefighters responded at about 2:25 a.m. Sept. 5 to a two-story residence in the 5000 block of East 61st Street in Maywood, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Smoke was coming from the home when emergency crews arrived. After firefighters and sheriff’s deputies entered and searched the residence, they discovered three people dead inside a bedroom.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department described the victims as a man and woman in their late 40s and a boy younger than 10. Authorities said the adults were married and the child was their biological son. Their identities had not been publicly released as of Sunday.
All three had apparent gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities. Investigators recovered a handgun from the room where the family members were found. The Sheriff’s Department said the circumstances appeared to be domestic violence in nature and that investigators did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the surrounding community.
Lt. Eric Arias of the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau told reporters that the preliminary investigation indicated the father may have been the shooter. Authorities had not announced final findings on the sequence of the shootings, and the official causes and manners of death remained subject to examination by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
The deaths were discovered after crews were initially dispatched for the house fire. Investigators said the blaze began on the first floor, while the three family members were found in a bedroom. Authorities had not released a cause for the fire or said whether investigators believed it was deliberately set.
Accounts released during the early stages of the investigation varied slightly on the child’s age and the precise response time. Sheriff’s officials described the boy as younger than 10, while some initial reports referred to him as 10. Authorities generally placed the emergency response at about 2:25 to 2:30 a.m. Those differences did not change the central findings released by investigators.
A relative of the woman told NBC Los Angeles that another family member alerted him to the fire and that he tried to fight the flames with a hose before firefighters arrived. Authorities have not released further details about what may have happened inside the home before the fire or what circumstances led to the shootings.
Sheriff’s homicide detectives continued investigating the deaths and the circumstances surrounding the fire. Authorities said no suspect was being sought in connection with an ongoing threat, but the case remained under investigation and the identities of the three family members had not been officially released.
Author note: Last updated September 6, 2026.