Teenager's Birthday Party Ends In Murder-Suicide

Grapevine Police investigate murder-suicide late Saturday night

A daughter's 16th birthday party turned into a nightmare in Grapevine when it ended with the murder-suicide of her parents.

It happened outside the front door of Kristi Suckla's parents' house in the 3000 block of Creekview Drive late Saturday.

The 44-year-old moved there with her teenaged son and daughter. Grapevine police say husband Kelly Suckla, 43, came over to the house Saturday night for their 16-year-old daughter's birthday. 

An argument broke out. Investigators said shots broke out. Suckla shot and killed his estranged wife with a handgun, then himself. The children and grandparents were inside the home and were not physically hurt.

The couple earlier lived in the 500 block of Claymore Drive in Euless. Neighbor Donell Arseneau took the news with tears.

"They would just come over and we'd visit and I'd been over there a few times," said Arseneau.  "They'd have little parties on the weekends. They had just recently separated. Kristi hadn't been staying over there (at her parents) but for just a few weeks."

Arseneau called the couple "good people" who had recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. She was stunned that whatever problems the Sucklas had came to this.

"They never fought that I knew of. They got along so good," Arseneau told us at her front door. "Their daily walks and when they were having parties, they just got along so well so even when she moved to her parents, I just figured she'd be back in a little while."

Grapevine police detectives continue their investigation, but they are calling this a murder-suicide.

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