Arlington police say a man and his adult daughter were found dead at a home Wednesday and the man's wife, who drove herself to a mental health hospital that afternoon, has been arrested in connection with their slayings.
Police responded to the house in the 2500 block of Edinburgh Street, where a caller reported that there could be critically-injured people inside. When officers arrived at about 1:50 p.m., they found two people dead from gunshot wounds.
The medical examiner's office identified the victims as Russ Dunnachie and Kimberly Dunnachie.
Police said they quickly suspected 35-year-old Veronica Dunnachie in the killings. Officers then located her at Millwood Hospital in the 1100 block of North Cooper Street and arrested her without incident.
Veronica Dunnachie faces a charge of capital murder in the case.
“The first question is why? Why would that happen? Why would she do it?” said neighbor Mike McKinney, who lives across the street.
Veronica Dunnachie's cousin Elizabeth Rojas told NBC 5 that Veronica sent two of her younger children to school and dropped her youngest off with the baby sitter that morning before the victims were fatally shot. Police confirmed that all four of Veronica Dunnachie's children are safe.
A next-door neighbor said she heard people arguing and screaming coming from the couple's home at about 4 a.m.
Court records indicate Veronica Dunnachie and her husband were going through a divorce. Her husband had temporary custody of the children and home as well as child support.
“I never thought it would come to this point. I just knew they were having problems,” said neighbor Cara Vannatta, who would often baby-sit for Veronica Dunnachie’s children.
Rojas told NBC 5 Wednesday that Veronica Dunnachie had become very distant, lost weight and become heavily involved in gun-rights activist groups. She said the family was unaware of divorce proceedings between her and her husband.
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“I just knew she was going through a hard time, then all of a sudden she changed so fast. But I didn’t know she was going to be doing this,” Vannatta said.
The initial police investigation Wednesday prompted a lockdown at nearby Bryant Elementary School on Havenwood Drive. Students were supposed to be released for the day at 3:20 p.m., but police worked with school officials to hold the students inside for about 30 additional minutes out of an abundance of caution.
NBC 5's Holley Ford and Todd L. Davis contributed to this report.
